


Water Me

by likeporcelain



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, BDSM, Bondage, College, Dany has big anxiety, Discipline, Dom!Jon, F/M, Fluff, High School, Jon and Dany are not related, Jon is a caregiver-type of dom, Lawyer!Dany, Minor Daario Naharis/Daenerys Targaryen, Minor Grey Worm/Missandei, Minor Jon Snow/Val, Minor Jon Snow/Ygritte, Minor Ramsay Bolton/Daenerys Targaryen, Minor Talisa Maegyr/Robb Stark, Modern Era, POV Third Person, R Plus L Does Not Equal J, Romance, Sub!Dany, This fic is too dang long, lawyer!Jon, lots of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:06:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 176,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21702673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeporcelain/pseuds/likeporcelain
Summary: Daenerys Targaryen was only a teenager when she fell for her next door neighbor and classmate, the ever charming and surprisingly kind Jon Snow. Her debilitating fear of public speaking brought them together, but factors beyond their control pulled them apart time and time again. When Jon gets a job in Dany's office in an intentional attempt to reconnect with the woman he's never been able to forget, Dany has a second chance at accepting herself and allowing Jon to love her in the way she so desperately requires.
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 981
Kudos: 886





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ: This fic contains lots of smut. I set out to write a BDSM fic, and this is what happened. This fic depicts a dominant (Jon)/submissive (Dany) relationship that manifests primarily in the caregiver/nurture type of dynamic (light-ddlg maybe??) but also contains certain s&m qualities such as bondage and discipline/pain. Also, you'll notice the tags list a few minor pairings for both Jon and Dany. This is because this fic covers about a 12ish year period as Jon and Dany flow in and out of each others' lives - meaning, other sexual and/or romantic relationships they have while apart from one another (not dating/in a relationship) are referenced in this fic. If that's something that makes you uncomfortable, consider this your warning. This fic also jumps around in time quite a bit, so I've put labels in bold to indicate month and year whenever necessary. 
> 
> This fic is COMPLETE - sort of! I'm posting chapter one on impulse even though I'm still not finished editing the whole fic smh. Everything is basically done, but there are still a few scenes I need to add in here and there, and I thought that posting might give me a boost of energy to get those done. So please let me know what you think! (Chapter total is subject to change as well).
> 
> I probably won't be able to post every day because my finals are due in the next two weeks and I haven't started any of them. But I do love to procrastinate, so you'll still see pretty frequent updates. This fic is so dang long. What have I done. I wrote this in one month. Literally. I started writing this November 2nd and it's like 150k. I love this fic but dear Lord I just need to unload it asap and do something else with my life (start a new fic). 
> 
> And as always, if anyone *desperately* needs any spoilers, I'm down to answer any questions/concerns, but out of respect for readers who don't want to be spoiled, I won't divulge anything in the comments. Please instead private message me on Tumblr (un: **danystormbornsnow** ) or hit me up on Discord (un: **likeporcelain#7837** )
> 
> <3

**OCTOBER, 2008**

"Despite the pot. . . the potential risk of ad. . . ad--additional. . ."

Snickers from various overly caffeinated teens filled in the gaps in Dany's speech. The sound buzzed in her ear until she struggled to hear her own stuttering voice.

". . . additional oil leakage, the r--risk of--"

"You need to speak up, Daisy," interrupted Mr. Hightower, Harrenhal Preparatory School's speech and debate teacher.

 _My name isn't Daisy._ Dany's temperature rose. Before standing up to deliver the five minute speech assignment she had spent the last week writing, Dany took comfort within her monogrammed sweater, hoping it would protect her from the gaze of her classmates, but now her back and underarms were moist with sweat, making the heavy fabric painfully constricting. She prayed the material was dark enough not to show any wet spots.

"--the risk of--" She cleared her throat and tried to finish in a louder voice, "--destroying the vast marine ecosystem that has ac--acum--acumulated on and around the oil rigs for--"

"Can you stop doing that?" asked a girl in a front row seat, closest to where Dany stood at the classroom podium. The girl's ambivalent eyes looked to Dany's hand where she had been clicking her ballpoint pen in rapid succession.

Dany released the pen from her trembling hands. It clambered onto the sloped podium and rolled onto the floor with another clamber. "Shit," she hissed under her breath, causing more snickers from her classmates. Her face went flush with humiliation as she dropped to her knees to pick up her pen. _You can't curse in front of the whole class!_

In a tone of upmost dissatisfaction, Mr. Hightower said, "Why don't we move on. You can re-present your speech on Monday, Daisy."

Dany stood, pen clutched in her sweaty palm, a mixture of relief and anger churning up a sickness in her gut.

"Try to be more prepared next time," Mr. Hightower finished, then addressed the rest of the class. "Who wants to go next?"

Dany raised her hand at the podium, but couldn't wait to be called on before urgently asking if she could be excused to the restroom.

Even at that, Dany stuttered, and her fellow classmates chortled.

Mr. Hightower heaved a sigh. "Go ahead."

Dany turned on her heel and rushed out of the classroom without even the mind to take her typed-up speech with her. As she left the room, another hand shot up.

"Can I go to the restroom, too?" asked Jon Snow. "I was waiting for her to finish her speech before asking, and I've really got to go.”

Another sigh heaved, then Mr. Hightower excused Jon as well.

The boy's restroom was down the long corridor and sat just beside the girl's restroom. Standing at the urinal, Jon relieved his bladder of such undo pressure, but before flushing, he heard a peculiar sound echoing from the other side of the wall. It was the sound of retching. His dark brows furrowed with concern. His timid classmate had never struck him as bulimic.

Jon flushed, washed his hands, walked out of the boys bathroom, and without qualm, veered right into the girl's restroom just as Dany vomited a second time into the second-stall toilet.

She hadn't even had time to lock herself in the little cubicle before she had dropped to her knees and puked up half her lunch. She had managed to pull off her sweater and unfasten the top three buttons of her sweaty blouse before the second half of her lunch hurdled up her esophagus. The sound of her heaving into the toilet bowl prevented Dany from hearing Jon enter the restroom, and the stall she was huddled in.

"Are you alright?"

Dany turned suddenly, falling back on her butt and getting awkwardly wedged between the toilet and the cubical wall. She flinched when Jon lurched forward, but then his arm extended down to her, offering his hand to her. Dany trailed her gaze up from his long fingers to his dark eyes, radiating concern for her wellbeing. Her cheeks tinged red. Oh how much more mortifying could this day possibly get?

With no other options, Dany took Jon's hand and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. His hand was warm, but not the way Dany's was, drenched in hot sweat. No, his was warm the way hands were meant to be. Dany had never touched a boy's hand before, unless you count her father, but even so, she hadn't felt her father's hand since she was too young to cross the street without a guide. It suddenly spooked her, and as soon as her saddle shoes were planted flat on the floor, Dany took back her hand and backed away until her shoulders and butt connected with the cubical wall.

When Dany realized she was still looking into Jon's eyes, she quickly averted her gaze. But that was worse, because her attention landed on the bile and half-digested food substances that coated the toilet bowl. As if things couldn't get any worse, Jon followed Dany's grimace.

"Gross," he stated, and Dany died a little bit inside.

Jon extended his leg and hit the flusher with the bottom of his black shoe, sending Dany's sickness spinning down the pipe.

Hands on his hips, Jon looked Dany up and down. "You're kind of a mess, huh?"

Dany stammered a response. "I don't-- I'm not-- I just--"

"Don't worry," Jon interrupted, his expression soft. "So you have a stutter. It's not that big of a deal."

Anger finally won out, curing Dany momentarily of her nerves. "I don't stutter. I just. . . I'm not good at talking in front of people."

Jon nodded, digging into his pocket and pulling out a pack of Trident. "Fear of public speaking is the most common phobia in the world. Nothing to be ashamed of." He spoke so casually and so matter-of-fact. He pried a stick of gum from the box, returned the box to his pocket, then unwrapped the foil. Pitching the unwrapped gum between finger and thumb, Jon held it before Dany's mouth and said, "Open."

Dany responded with a bewildered expression.

Jon explained. "You just had your hands all over the rim of a public toilet. My hands are freshly washed. I promise. Now, open up."

Tentatively, Dany parted her lips enough for Jon to slide the stick of gum between them. Dany took the stick between her front teeth, and Jon retracted his hand, his fingertips just barely brushing Dany's chapped lips.

"Better?" Jon asked as Dany began to chew.

"I don't like mint," She answered with a grimace.

Jon chuckled softly. "It's better than puke."

Dany's cheeks blushed. She couldn't help but smile.

Jon Snow had been Dany's next door neighbor since she could remember, and they had been classmates since Dany managed to convince her father to let her go to a real high school three years ago. And yet, this was the first time she had ever spoken to Jon. It was the first time he had ever spoken to her. Maybe it was the echo in the tiled restroom, but Dany found the sound of his voice intoxicating.

When Jon's eyes flitted down to her chest, Dany realized her shirt was parted enough to reveal her small cleavage, glistening with sweat, her skin pink. Suddenly flustered again, Dany quickly buttoned her shirt up to her throat.

"Sorry," Jon mumbled awkwardly.

"Was it really bad?" asked Dany with a frown.

"Your tits?"

"What?" Dany jumped. "No. My speech."

"Oh." He pushed some of his black curls behind his ear. "It was. . . I mean. . . Well. . ."

"Now who's the one with the stutter?" muttered Dany.

Jon chuckled lightly. "It wasn't bad."

"Yes it was," argued Dany miserably.

"I'm sure your speech is amazing. You just looked terrified is all. And I couldn't really hear anything you were saying over the pen clicking."

Dany's throat rumbled a low groan. "I didn't know I was doing that. God. . . everyone was laughing at me."

"Fuck them." A sharp, earnest statement.

“And what about the teacher?”

“Fuck him, too. He's an asshole.”

Dany folded her arms over her chest. “He always calls me Daisy, like I'm some fragile little child.”

Jon looked curious. “You don't like to be called Daisy?”

“No,” she insisted. “It's not my name.”

“It's not?”

Dany blinked heavily for some time before shaking her head. “It's Daenerys. But I really just go by Dany.”

“Shit,” Jon muttered. “That's unfortunate, because you look like a Daisy. Literally.”

Dany's eyes rolled. “That's not what literally means.”

A smile eclipsed Jon's face, flashing white teeth, endearingly crooked. “Your hair is so light it's basically white, and when you're sitting in the sun, your skin sort of glows in faint gold. You look like a daisy. And I don't think it makes you sound fragile. I don't think the little flowers are any weaker than the big flowers. They all need the same things to grow. Sunlight, soil, water. Plus, daisies are pretty.”

Dany's jaw softened, ceasing it's chewing on the ball of gum between her molars. It just occurred to her that they were standing no more than a foot apart, alone between two cubical walls, alone in the whole of the girls' restroom. Her heartbeat thumped a rapid rhythm, a soundtrack to the visual art that was Jon Snow. His clean shaven face, full lips, and lean body made him look boyish, as all seventeen-year-olds still maintained most of their boyishness, but there was always something about Jon that made Dany believe he wasn't like the other boys they went to school with. 

Even as Freshmen, Jon seemed to carry himself more maturely than their classmates. He was pals with many of them, but he was never roped into their childish antics. He never participated in their foolishness. He never snickered at Dany when she struggled to communicate under the judgmental gaze of others. This may have been the first time Dany ever spoke to Jon, but still. She felt she knew something personal about him, that he was different. An old soul, perhaps. Or maybe he was just kind. Could hot guys be kind? The notion dizzied Dany. It went against everything she knew of teenagers. The hotter they were, the more viscous, right? But Jon was the hottest guy in all of Harrenhal, in Dany's biased opinion, at least. 

_When has he seen me in the sunlight?_ Dany asked herself. She never saw anyone in the sunlight. When Dany moved about campus, it was with her head down, staring at the words in a book, or at the scribblings in her notebook as she did some last minute refreshing before class. Even when she would lift her head, she rarely met anyone's eye. In fact, here in this toilet stall, Dany thought this was the longest she had held the gaze of a classmate in her entire time at Harrenhal. 

“You done?” Jon asked, breaking their silence. He lifted his hand up to Dany's chin, palm up. 

Dany's face twisted in a strange expression. “You want me to. . ?”

“Oh, did you think I was giving you that piece of gum? No, that was a loan. I need it back now.”

Dany's silver eyebrows shot up to the top of her forehead, but then a comical smirk appeared on Jon's face and she knew it was a joke. She allowed herself a little laugh, willing her cheeks to stay neutral and not give away how utterly charming she found Jon to be. 

But Jon's hand remained before her chin. “Go on,” he coaxed. 

“Really?” 

“Only if you're done with it.”

Oh, she was done with it the moment it touched her tongue. Dany despised the taste of mint, and this particular genre of mint seemed especially strong. But to spit it out into his hand? That was something fathers did with their small children. Jon was not her father, and Dany most certainly was no small child. And yet, when Dany's eyes flitted from Jon's palm to Jon's face, studying how calm, and how accepting he seemed. . . _He's never laughed at me._ Dany told herself, _Not once._

Carefully, Dany tilted her head down and let the little wad of gum slip past her lips and fall into the center of Jon's palm. When she looked back up, Jon's expression had shifted, but just slightly. He wore a twinge of surprise now, like he hadn't been sure Dany would actually do it. Had she made a mistake in trusting him? Had it been a prank? Would he laugh now? 

He didn't. He smiled softly instead and retracted his hand. He turned and left the stall, disposing of the gum in the waste can. He didn't wash his hands, rather just swiped his palm across his black slacks a couple of times. “That wasn't so weird, was it?” Jon asked, letting a little chuckle slip out this time, but it was the type of chuckle that soothed rather than threatened. Dany chuckled with him. 

Jon returned to the stall and scooped up Dany's sweater from where she had flung it off of her and left it in a heap on the grimy floor. “You can't wear this,” Jon said. “These floors are disgusting.”

Pinching the fabric of her blouse and pulling it an inch from her belly, Dany morosely said, “I have to. I've got sweat stains on my shirt.”

“Here.” Jon draped Dany's sweater over the top of the cubical wall long enough to peel off his own burgundy monogrammed cardigan. Jon held it out for Dany in such a way that said he wanted to help her put it on. 

Chewing on her bottom lip to keep from squealing with joy, Dany turned around. Back to him now, she allowed herself to blush madly and grin ear to ear as Jon helped her into his cardigan one arm at a time. He straightened the shoulder seams and smoothed his palms down her back to settle the fabric. Dany's toes curled within the tight confines of her saddle shoes. 

When she turned back to face Jon, he stepped up close to Dany. The air left her lungs, but she could still smell his aftershave. What seventeen year old wore aftershave? It wasn't so uncommon among prep school boys, but Dany would not consider any explanation that did not conclude with Jon being special.

She felt his hands on her wrist. They fiddled with the sleeves that dangled past her fingertips, rolling them up until they settled appropriately where her wrist met her hand. He then repeated the process with the other sleeve. When that was done, Jon fastened the buttons at the front of the cardigan, beginning with the very bottom. 

Dany swallowed hard as she felt his knuckles brush her skirt, shifting the fabric enough to tickle her crotch. With Jon's eyes focused on the buttons, Dany found it easy to stare at his mouth. Plump lips, slightly pink. If she lifted to her toes and leaned in just a few inches, she could capture those lips with hers. But, he would never dream of kissing her after seeing what all came up her throat just minutes ago. Why did she have to order the cheeseburger at lunch? 

But maybe he didn't care. He had held her chewed up gum in the palm of his hand and smiled about it. Why could he not kiss her after she'd vomited as well? Just her lips. Just one gentle kiss to her lips, and Dany would never have to kiss another person for the rest of her life. 

_Kiss him,_ Dany urged herself as Jon's fingers buttoned the final button, knuckles grazing her breasts ever so gently. 

She did not kiss him. No, Dany could never make the first move. Dany doubted she could even make the second move. Someone could make a move on her and she wouldn't even be able to move along with their move. 

Jon turned away from her, and she released a self-deprecated sigh. He grabbed Dany's sweater and slung it over his shoulder. “How about I give this back to you tonight?” he asked. 

“Tonight?” the disappointment left her face, replaced with confusion. 

“Yeah, unless you have plans or something already.”

Dany's eyes went wide. Plans? Or something? Was Jon trying to make _plans_ with Dany? This could not be happening. Their first interaction was of him watching her hurl into a public toilet. What part of that scenario made Jon want to make _plans_ with Dany? 

“Well--” Dany cleared her throat “--my parents are going to a dinner party tonight. They said I could go if I wanted to. . .”

“Do you want to?” The bemused smirk on Jon's lips gave away his thoughts on dinner parties. 

“No.”

“Cool. So, do you want me to come over?”

“To my house?”

His smile widened. “Yeah. I mean, I'd invite you over to my house, but I share a bedroom, so we wouldn't have much privacy.”

“Privacy?” Dany's thighs trembled. New sweat percolated up her spine. 

“We don't need privacy, though, if you don't want it.” 

Before her mind could talk her out of what her body yearned for, Dany quickly said, “Privacy is good.” More demurely, she added, “I guess you could come over for a bit if you want.” 

“Okay, cool.” He looked satisfied. “When should I come over?”

“Well, my parents are leaving at six.”

“Sweet.”

The restroom door swung open and another senior came sauntering in. Tyene Sand. She crossed her arms and looked over Jon with displeasure. “Ya know this is the ladies' room, right?”

“Then why are you here?” Jon shot back. 

A smirk rose on Tyene's face, and she flicked her fingers against the side of Jon's head before disappearing into a stall. Jon chuckled at the action. He was friends with everyone, Dany reminded herself. Jon may have been special to her, but Dany wasn't special to him. Jon probably went to the houses of every other person at Harrenhal on Friday nights. He probably hung out at Tyene's house, and at the houses of other girls, too. Dany couldn't imagine any girl turning Jon away. 

Dany was suddenly acutely aware of how hollow her belly was. 

“We should get back to class,” Jon said. “I'll go ahead, and you wait a minute, so we don't arrive back at the same time.”

Dany watched Jon leave, frowning sorrowfully. But as she washed her hands at a pedestal sink, Dany looked at her reflection in the mirror, seeing her petite body wrapped up loosely in Jon's thick cardigan. She _was_ special. Jon would not have given his sweater out to just anyone, would he? Jon would not have willingly touched the chewed up gum of any girl, would he? Jon would not have taken the time to situate the garments of any other girl so that they fit just right, would he?

* * * * *

As soon as Dany got home from school, she ran up to her bedroom, logged onto her Windows XP desktop computer and pulled up Skype. Within minutes, Dany was virtually face to face with her best, and only, friend, Missandei. Ever since they met at Engineering Camp five summers ago, they had kept in touch, and when Dany was old enough to have her own computer, they chatted everyday. 

“You are never going to guess what happened today,” Dany exclaimed in a rush through her nervous excitement. 

“You puked during your speech?”

Dany's face fell into a sharp glare. “I'll have you know, I did not puke until I was safely in the restroom after my speech.”

Missandei's image shifted rapidly in the square box on Dany's monitor as her friend moved about on her bed to find a comfortable position. “Then I'm proud of you, D! It went well, then?”

“No,” Dany groaned. “It went horribly. But that isn't what I wanted to tell you. I have incredible news.”

“Spill it.”

Dany relayed every single detail to Missandei beginning with her speech and ending with her washing her hands at the pedestal sink. No small detail was left unspoken. She described exactly how Jon smiled whenever he did, and exactly how Jon smelled. She described exactly how Jon's fingers touched the fabric of her clothes, and exactly how close he had been standing to her. She mimicked every word or phrase Jon spoke to her while they were in the restroom and described the precise manner in which he spoke them. 

At the end, Missandei only had one question. “Wait, you spit in his hand?”

Dany's nose scrunched. “Maybe I didn't describe it right.”

“No, it's hot.”

“Really?”

Missandei quirked a small smirk. “Yeah. I mean, your saliva was touching his skin. That's hot.”

Dany's cheeks turned red and her belly fluttered. “Do you think this means he likes me?”

“Well, he's definitely into you, or else he wouldn't have invited himself over to your house.” Missandei grew nervous. “What are you going to do?”

“I don't know. What should I do?”

“I don't know. I've never done anything.”

“I've never done anything either,” Dany mumbled anxiously. “Do you think he wants to do things?”

“He's a Senior, right?”

Dany nodded. 

“Oh, he definitely wants to do something then. Seniors are always doing things. And Juniors actually. Even Sophomores. Basically, everyone except me is doing things. And now _you're_ going to do things.”

 _Things._ Dany's eyes bulged and her fingers jittered against her knees. Did she want to do things with Jon? She wanted to kiss him, that much was perfectly clear. Kissing was a thing, right? Tongue kissing. . . Yes, Dany very much wanted that as well. To taste another person's tongue with her own was deeply erotic to Dany. 

Hand holding. That could also be a thing, right? Dany loved the feel of Jon's fingers on her skin. She wanted to feel his fingers lace with her own and squeeze tight. What if Jon held her hand while he tongue kissed her? Dany felt dizzy all of a sudden. 

“You need to wear something really cute!” Missandei said. 

For the next two hours, Dany displayed every single item of clothing she owned in front of her webcam, and Missandei gave her judgment of each one until they finally settled on an outfit good enough for a hang out session with one of the most popular guys at Harrenhal. 

Dany hung up the Skype call so that she could shower and “get pretty,” as Missandei would say. 

By the time Dany's parents were heading out the door to make their dinner plans, Dany was out of the bathroom, having showered, shaved, and blown out her hair. She'd spent way too much time with the razor. Having grown paranoid about her pubic hair, she started hacking it all off. Who would guess such a small area would take so much time to smooth out? Now, Dany was scrambling to get dressed in the precise outfit Missandei helped her pick out.

First, a short black circle skirt her mom had bought her, but that Dany had not once worn. She rolled it once at her hips so that the skirt fell at mid-thigh. "You've got to show off your legs so he'll want to touch them," Missandei had advised.

Touch her legs? Dany shivered at the thought. Goosebumps covered her now hairless body. Missandei had also told Dany to wear sexy underwear, but Dany did not own any sexy underwear. That wouldn't matter would it? Jon didn't want to have actual sex, did he?

"Do you want to have sex?" Missandei had asked Dany before signing off.

"I don't know," Dany had replied, but the truth was, she desperately wanted to. She would surreptitiously skim romance novels between that stacks at the public library and skip to the juicy parts, imagining she were the woman being ravaged by a large, dominant man who oozed masculinity. She would read stories online late into the night on weekends, online message boards of young adults discussing their sexual experiences. They were never very detailed, or even overtly erotic, but Dany still managed to masturbate to them.

And she had spent an hour shaving her vagina for crying out loud. People didn't do that sort of stuff unless they wanted to have sex, right?

After the skirt, Dany put on a tight blouse that fastened together with little silver clasps down the front, leaving a thin sliver of flesh visible from her chest down to the hem of her skirt. Missandei said to wear it without a bra, but Dany was too self conscious for that, and bras made her breasts a nice evenly round shape.

Dany looked in the mirror and immediately felt ill. She did look sexy, but it was all off. Like she was trying too hard. She needed to be casual. She needed Jon to think she was cool. Right now, Dany just looked like a slutty Disney channel star.

The doorbell rang, chiming throughout the large two-story home. Dany gasped, and in a feverish rush she ripped off her outfit and replaced it with cotton shorts and a gray t-shirt. She did not realize the shirt had "West Coast Mathletes" written across the chest until she was running down the stairs.

And of course, the first thing that left Jon's mouth when he saw her was, "Mathletes." A statement accompanied by a comical expression.

Dany's cheeks went flush.

"I brought your sweater," Jon said, handing it to her. "I washed it for you."

She took the clean fabric in her hands and stood in the doorway awkwardly. Maybe that was it. Maybe he only wanted to drop off the sweater.

But then Jon asked, "You gonna invite me in?"

They went up to Dany's room. She was glad she had changed now, seeing that Jon was in jeans and a white t-shirt. Casual. That was all this was.

Dany hastily took Jon's cardigan from a hook beside her bedroom door and handed it to him. "I didn't wash it. I'm sorry."

"It's all good." He swung the sweater over one shoulder as he did with Dany's sweater earlier than day. He then moved to take in the environment. 

It was difficult watching Jon tour her bedroom like this was a modern art museum. Dany had not been in the bedrooms of other teenagers, unless you would count seeing Missandei's bedroom through a Skype window, so she did not know how hers stacked up against the norm. 

The room was large. Almost twice the size of Jon's room next door, and he shared it with his half-brother. The walls were painted a pastel pink, and the drapes were white lace with crystal beads hanging on strings across the fabric. They were shut, since it was nighttime. The floors were cherrywood, covered partly by a shag area rug. She had a canopy bed and a full-size mattress covered in ivory sheets and a pink quilt with a few furry throw pillows. On her desk was a computer, a couple of framed photographs, and a few novels with library stickers on the spines. Jon picked one up. “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Love Stories--”

“Shit,” Dany hissed, reaching for the book, but Jon stepped back, finishing the title with a big grin.

“--Stories of First Dates, Soul Mates, and Everlasting Love.”

Ah yes. . . the blasted Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Dany was still too nervous to check out the _romance_ books. She was thankful for that in the moment, though. God knows if she would ever recover had Jon found real erotic fiction just lying on her desk beside her homework. Still, her face was red as a tomato. 

“Very cute,” Jon said with a little chuckle before putting the book back down. 

Very cute? What did that mean? Very cute like a five year old in a Princess costume is very cute? Or very cute like a young kissable woman is very cute? Somehow, Dany felt Jon meant the former. 

“Thanks for letting me come over, by the way,” Jon said, moving on to look at Dany's framed photographs. “I know we don't really talk at all, but--”

“I don't really talk to anyone.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled again. Why was everything so funny? “I know that. This is your friend?” Jon showed Dany the photo of her and Missandei from when Missandei spent a week with Dany over the Summer, just a couple months ago. They had gone to a water park. Even at fifteen, Missandei was tall and her figure was nicely proportioned in a bright two-piece bathing suit. Dany, though. . . puberty did little to stretch out her height, and the blue one-piece she wore in that picture only made her look shorter. Why hadn't she combed her room for embarrassing artifacts? 

“That's Missandei. She doesn't live here, though.”

“She's pretty,” Jon said casually, placing the photograph down. 

In that moment, Dany despised Missandei, but the resentment left her almost as soon as it entered. It was a fact, after all. Missandei was very pretty. That didn't necessarily mean that Jon was into her, did it?

“So, what do you want to do?” Jon asked. He draped his cardigan over the back of Dany's swivel desk chair and sat down, swiveling so he faced the bed, knees parted in the way all men seemed to sit. 

Dany perched herself on the edge of her bed, keeping her own knees firmly pressed together. “I don't know. What do you want to do?”

Jon's eyes moved around the room once more. There was no clutter in the entire space. Nothing left haphazardly on the floor. No clothes tossed in a pile on chairs. No dresser drawers left ajar. No smudges on the walls or even dust on the bookshelves. “Do you have any games?” he asked. 

“Games?” Dany hadn't been expecting that. “I don't really play any games.”

“Board games?”

Dany shook her head. She had no one to play board games with. When she was a kid, she sometimes got her parents to play Life with her, Spongebob Edition, but that game was long sold off on eBay along with any other memory of a time when Dany did anything with her parents. 

“Card games?”

EBay. Dany shook her head. 

“Video games?”

“I play Tetris sometimes on my computer. Or solitaire.” 

The corners of Jon's mouth quirked up comically, no doubt intrigued by Dany's lack of childhood staples. 

“I'm sorry,” Dany quickly said. “I'm not very interesting. I mainly just read and study and talk to my friend online.”

“Do you listen to music?” he asked. 

Dany's face brightened. “I do.” She showed Jon her CD collection, actually thinking it was something special for a short while until Jon chuckled again. His fingers peeled out a case from the stack on her shelf and turned it around so Dany could see. 

Ashley Simpson. Dany's face flushed red. “That's from when I was younger,” she insisted. 

“What about this?” Jon asked, peeling out N*Sync. The “No Strings Attached” album. 

“That was from when I was ten.”

He peeled out another album. Aaron Carter. 

“Please stop,” Dany insisted, taking all the CDs from Jon's hands and putting them back. She suddenly hated having him in her room. They should have stayed in the living room. It wasn't like her parents were home anyway. No one was home. No one was ever home. 

“Wait, this one is good.” Jon plucked out another CD and examined it. 

“Really?”

It was The Offspring. The “Smash” album. It wasn't technically Dany's. She had stolen it from her father's collection because she liked it, and he never listened to it anyway. 

“Yeah. I like this.” Jon went to Dany's nightstand and popped the disk into her Sony stereo. He hit the skip button to track 4: “Gotta Get Away.”

Dany's heart raced along with the hammering of the drums and the rapid crash of symbols. Jon turned from the stereo to face Dany. Like deja vu, they stood a mere foot apart, Dany's back pressed against the wall. 

“I like your room,” Jon said. 

“You do?”

“Yeah. It must be nice to have so much space to yourself.”

Was her room large? She supposed it was. The whole house was large. It had two master suites and this was one of them. Jon told her that he shared a room, and that his house was full of people all the time. “There's eight of us total. Three of them teenagers, so you can imagine. . . And my step-mom is always on my case. Always. She still checks my backpack every day when I get back from school. It's fucking ridiculous.”

Dany didn't have any frame of reference for that last piece of information. She had been home-schooled until high school, and her parents never saw cause to check her home-school packets before they mailed them in. Dany was a good student. She usually finished them early. If ever she did have a question, she figured it out herself. “You're smarter than your mother,” Dany's mom used to say. It made Dany mad, because even at a young age she knew her mother was lying. How could a child be smarter than a mom? 

“Maybe it's because she cares about you,” Dany said. 

“She wants to control me,” Jon glumly retorted. “If she cared about me, she would leave me alone.”

Dany sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Her palms were sweating again. She swiped them against her shorts in a futile effort to dry them. “All my parents do is leave me alone,” she said. 

Jon looked down, watching Dany's left palm rub against her hip. He lifted his own hand to hers, stilling it. He smoothed his thumb down the back of her littlest finger. Dany gulped, her finger reflexively lifting toward his touch. 

“Are you alone a lot?” asked Jon quietly. 

Dany watched his lips move and the flutter of his black eyelashes with each blink as he stared down at their hands. His fingers followed the slopes over her palm, feeling the sheen of moisture. 

“Yes,” Dany whispered breathlessly. 

“You could come over whenever you want, you know.”

“Really?” 

Jon massaged gentle circles into the back of her hand with his thumb. “Yeah. I mean, we'll never be alone, though.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah?” His gaze lifted to meet hers, a small smirk playing on his lips. “You don't want to be alone with me?”

Toes digging into her shag rug, Dany felt a familiar sensation between her legs. Her thighs were moist with sweat and, higher up, she was moist with something else. She curled her fingers around Jon's holding onto them tightly. 

“I do,” she breathed, the words barely audible, but Jon was so close he would surely hear each one. “But, I. . .”

Jon stepped closer until Dany could feel his belt buckle graze her t-shirt. “But what?”

“I don't know.”

“You know know?” His mouth was so close to her, she could smell the sweetness on his breath, like citrus gum. Not mint. Dany wanted to follow the scent, to crawl into his mouth and fall asleep on the bed of his tongue. 

“I've never. . .” she began, head in a euphoric flurry. Jon's other hand connected with her free one and slowly slid their palms together until he was intertwining his fingers with hers. 

“You've never been alone with anyone before?”

Her head shook slowly. “Not with a guy.”

Just when she thought Jon would finally close the gap between them and press their mouths together, he took a step back. Dany frowned, but Jon never let go of her hands, holding them in the space between them now. 

“Are you a virgin?” he asked. 

Unable to gauge whether or not her answer truly mattered, Dany decided to be truthful. She nodded a yes. “Are you?” What a silly question. Of course he wasn't. He was Jon Snow. Even Tyene Sand thought he was cool, and Tyene Sand didn't think anyone was cool. 

But then he said, “Yeah. I mean, I've done some things, but I haven't gone all the way yet.”

“Oh.” Dany was feeling too many things at once. Nervous, excited, afraid, elated, really fucking horny. She wasn't sure she wanted to have sex, but she needed _something._ She'd been wrong. Hand holding wasn't enough. Not by a long shot. “With Tyene Sand?”

He choked a little laugh of surprise. “No. Not Tyene. I dated this girl for a few months last year, but we broke things off right before she graduated. It wasn't very serious.”

Graduated. . . he had dated a Senior when he was only a Junior. Just when Dany thought Jon couldn't get any cooler. . . Dany wanted to ask who the girl was, but realized she didn't know the names of anyone from last year's graduating class. So instead, she admitted, “I've never done anything.”

“Do you want to do something?”

She gulped, eyes staring once again at his mouth. “I don't know.”

“We could do something else. I could watch you play tetris.”

“What, um. . .” she squeezed his hands, “what sort of things did you do with her. . . the girl you dated?”

“Do you want me to tell you, or do you want me to show you?”

Her lips parted, eyes flitting up to Jon's eyes, so deep and dark, like a pool of water in the dead of night. “I don't know.” Dany cursed the words that came out of her mouth. _I don't know?_ She did know. She knew with every nerve in her body which she preferred. 

Jon took a step forward, whispering deep, “I want to show you. Is that okay?”

 _Say yes!_ Shit. . . she couldn't. She had gulped down all the moisture in her mouth, and her throat was paralyzed. But she needed it so badly. Craved it. Craved him. Dany mustered up all of her courage and finally replied with a nod of her head. 

The song on the stereo had switched but Dany couldn't hear any music. All she heard was her own heartbeat thumping erratically in her chest, and the sound of Jon's fingers gliding against her skin as he raised a hand to her cheek. His thumb grazed her jaw, his finger tips dipping into her silvery hair. He stepped ever closer to her, closing the gap between them entirely until Dany felt the soles of his shoes against the sides of her feet, felt his hips against her pelvis, felt his chest gently compress her breasts, and felt his lips press against hers. 

She was flying, head spinning. Her first kiss, and it was with Jon Snow of all people. Dany had always assumed her first kiss would be after high school. College people were always kissing each other. She would go to a party – if she even got invited to a party – and get tipsy enough to forget her nerves long enough to make out with a complete stranger. She would most likely hate it, but at least she would have finally kissed someone, and then maybe she could kiss someone while sober and have it be half-way decent, and with someone she actually liked. 

But this. . . This kiss was incredible, and the only thing inebriating Dany's senses was the euphoria of the moment. Jon's lips were soft and careful, lingering against hers for a few moments before pulling away a millimeter only to apply the same amount of pressure once more. Dany thought she could finally die happy, but then his lips parted slightly, and suddenly his tongue was tasting the seem of her own lips. _Open up!_ she yelled at herself until her mind listened. She opened her mouth and Jon's tongue dipped inside, petting her own tongue with the tip. 

A moan escaped Dany's throat involuntarily. When his tongue retracted, her own poked out to regain contact. That simple action ignited something in Jon. He pressed their lips together again, jaw dropped, and he devoured her. His hands released Dany's and moved to the small of her back, pressing her firm against him. 

Dany whimpered in his mouth, feeling his crotch swell against her abdomen. She rose to her toes, feeling the rigid organ dig into her own crotch. A low groan rumbled through Jon's throat. 

After another minute, Jon suddenly turned them around. He did not part from Dany's kiss until he walked her backward and sat her down on the edge of her bed. He stepped back then, chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. There was a sheen of saliva across his lips – Dany's saliva. He looked incredible. Dany wasn't sure what Jon was doing to her, but she wanted to be devoured by him, to have all of him against all of her, smothering her, consuming her, owning her. 

Her hands gripped her quilt, suddenly realizing that if she were to part her thighs, Jon would most likely see how aroused she was. 

“Do you still want me to show you?” Jon asked, voice deep and hot with desire. 

“Yes.” Her loins rejoiced. Finally! She spoke!

“Take off your shirt.”

Dany swallowed, trembling fingers moving to the hem of her Mathletes tee. She suddenly couldn't remember which bra she put on and prayed it was something cute as she revealed her torso to Jon's gaze. A lavender t-shirt bra. Not exactly sexy, but the way Jon wet his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue gave Dany a boost of self-confidence. She dropped her t-shirt beside her on the bed, sucking in her already small stomach and straightening her back to try and appear taller. 

“The bra now.”

After a few moments hesitation, Dany reached behind her back and unhooked the clasp. The cups went limp around her breasts. Chewing nervously on her bottom lip, Dany slid the straps from her shoulders slowly until the bra was in her lap. She scooted it to the floor before her nerves took over and she crossed her arms over her chest bashfully. 

Jon stepped forward, taking gentle hold of her wrists and moving her arms away. “Let me see,” he said. 

Dany felt her nipples harden in the air-conditioned room, but her skin felt like it was on fire. Dany watched Jon's dark eyes as they watched Dany's breasts. No matter how many time Dany had seen her own body in the bathroom mirror, she still found herself wondering what Jon could possibly be seeing. He looked so studious, like he was mesmerized by her. Dany had never considered her breasts to be mesmerizing, but the way Jon stared at them was. Her lips parted. Her thighs dug together. Her toes curled into the rug. 

When Jon released one of her wrists, Dany thought to re-cover her chest, but she didn't. She kept her arm out, and was so proud of herself for doing so. The reward for her courage was immediate. As soon as Jon's fingertips met with the swell of her breast, Dany gasped softly. When his hand covered it completely, Dany exhaled a small moan. Every single touch, Dany felt in another place as well – another place she longed to feel Jon's fingers explore. When his thumb brushed her hardened nipple. . .

The clamber of Dany's bedroom door swinging open turned her moan into a squeal of shock. 

“Daenerys, have you seen my check book?” sounded her father's boisterous tenor as he walked straight into the room, dressed in a tailored suit and designer tie. But as soon as the question left his mouth, he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes beholding the sight of his only daughter half naked with the neighbor boy. 

Dany's spine seized with shock, and she scrambled to pull her t-shirt against herself, concealing her nudity from her father's vision. 

“It was in the sitting room, just as I told you it was!” came the voice of Dany's mother as she barged into the room right after her husband, a black leather check book in her hand. But, in similar fashion to Dany's father, Dany's mother halted abruptly, expression twisting with shock and dismay. 

Dany sputtered out a few syllables, willing her brain to come up with an explanation that might account for the goings on that didn't have anything to do with the fact that she had nearly climaxed just from having her nipple touched. But nothing came to mind. 

After a moment that felt like a lifetime, Aerys looked at Jon and gave a curt, “Get out.”

Before Dany could blink, Jon was hurrying past her parents and out of her bedroom. Suddenly, the sound of The Offspring was making her feel like throwing up. Dany stood and shut the stereo off. A moment later, she heard the front door slam shut, signaling Jon's official departure. She turned slowly, legs shaking with fear. She looked from her father to her mother, then back to her father. And then, they both turned and left as well. 

No words spoken. No punishments doled out. No remarks made about how ashamed they were of their good daughter who wasn't supposed to have any thoughts in her head except school, chores, and making herself as inconspicuous as possible. 

The front door slammed a second time, and once again, Dany was left completely alone. 

* * * * *

Dany spent the rest of that evening sobbing into her pillow. She had never been punished more severely than a ten minute time out when she was a toddler. She had never done anything wrong in her life, never defied her parents, and never gave them any cause to distrust her. Dany was certain that once her parents arrived back home from their dinner party, they would come back into her room and tell her what a disappointment she was, and that they would take her computer away from her, maybe her stereo too. 

But when Aerys and Rhaella came back that night just before midnight, they never went up to Dany's room. In fact, they did not so much as breathe one word to their daughter all of Saturday either. Dany had always felt invisible in her home, but never had her parents so blatantly pretended like she did not exist. Dany began to wish for an argument, for a grounding, for her computer to be confiscated. Anything that would prove to Dany that they actually gave a shit about her and what she had done. 

It also dawned on her throughout the weekend that Jon wasn't trying to reach out to her. Sure, she didn't have a cell phone, and Jon did not know the landline number or her Skype username, but he did live just next door. If he really truly wanted to see her, he could have found a way. 

It wasn't until after Dany's Sunday morning shower that her parents came to discuss matters with her. She walked into her bedroom in a robe, towel drying her long silver hair to find Rhaella and one of the maids packing her things into suitcases. 

“What's going on?” Dany asked. 

Aerys was in the corner, typing into his blackberry. He looked up at the sound of Dany's voice and casually answered. “I'm driving you up to Maidenpool today.”

“Maidenpool?” Dany asked. She recognized the name. It was another preparatory school, even more prestigious than Harrenhal. But. . .

“Maidenpool is four hours away,” Dany meekly protested.

“They have boarding facilities there. It wasn't cheap, but I've already secured you a placement.”

“But I don't want to move away.” Dany looked to Rhaella. “Mom?”

Rhaella shoved Dany's saddle shoes into a trunk and said, “Maidenpool is a much more prestigious school than Harrenhal. I sent an email to Harvard admissions to inform them of your transfer. I think this will improve your chances of getting in. You should be excited.”

But Dany was not excited. Not at all. 

“And,” Aerys added, “it's an all girls school, so you won't face any more distractions.”

Dany's eyes misted and her bottom lip quivered. “Your sending me away because of what happened?” _No,_ she wanted to scream. _No, just take my computer away. Ground me from ever stepping foot outside the house except for school, but don't send me away!_

But there was no point. It was all arranged. Dany would leave in a matter of hours and by sundown she would be at Maidenpool, tucked away in a little dormitory three-hundred miles away from her family, and from Jon. But none of them gave a shit about her anyway. 

“Can I bring my computer?” Dany asked with an aching heart, hopeful that at the very least, she could still have Missandei.


	2. Chapter 2

**SEPTEMBER, 2019**

_”I got two, ooh, ooh letters for you. One of them's F, and the other one's U. . .”_ Dany stood in the narrow restroom stall down the main corridor from Lannister & Baratheon, LLC, mouthing the lyrics to the song blasting through her airpods – her go-to song for whenever she needed a sudden boost in confidence. _”Cause what you gotta do, is go get yourself a clue. Only two, ooh, ooh letters to choose. One of them's F and the other one's U. SMH, I'm pressin' send on you.”_

She spun on the linoleum flooring in her four inch heels, eyes shut and body swaying to the beat of the song, channeling Miley Cyrus's energy so that perhaps she could walk into this meeting with her bosses and not be a total wreck. 

When the song ended, she tucked her airpods into her purse and typed out a quick text to Missandei. 

_"Listened to the song. Good to go now!"_ Finished off with a prayer hands emoji, and send. 

She took a deep breath, left the stall, and fixed herself in the mirror, making sure her black pencil skirt was straight, her white blouse free of sweat marks, and her hair properly formed in its center braid. After a quick touch up of her makeup, Dany was ready. 

Head held high, Dany moved through the maze of offices, cubicles, and random file closets until she reached Robert Baratheon's office. Important meetings with the partners were always held in Robert's office, if only because he was too lazy to walk to Tywin's office. Tywin was at least twenty years Robert's senior but took care of himself infinitely better. The lean, white-haired man greeted Dany stoically as she entered the office, motioning for her to have a seat on the sofa across from where he and Robert each sat in slim leather arm chairs. 

“We have heard nothing but good things regarding Denver,” Tywin said, referring to the business trip Dany had taken in Colorado, having just flown back late last night. She had been visiting with potential plaintiffs for a high profile class-action suit the firm was bringing against a really sleazy corporation that did not seem to pay mind to United States labor laws. 

Dany smiled. Not too proud, not too demure. A nice even smile. The one she had practiced.

“You have probably heard about the promotion that has been on the table,” Tywin said. 

“The whole damned office has heard about it,” Robert chortled. “My asshole has been sore for weeks with all the noses constantly being shoved up into it.”

Dany laughed along with her boss. Not too jovial, not too timid. A heavily rehearsed laugh that said _“Despite being female and not raised by wolves, I still appreciate a good asshole joke in the workplace every now and then.”_

Indeed, Dany had heard about the promotion. Senior Counsel. It was everything Dany dreamed of. To be Senior Counsel of a high-end Los Angeles law firm at her age was unheard of, but she was more qualified than any of the other junior-level associates, and clients always gave her rave reviews. She longed for this promotion, but more than that, she deserved it.

“I've heard rumors,” Dany soon said. 

“Well,” Tywin began. “We've decided that our little Daenerys Targaryen is ready for the big leagues.”

_Little_ Daenerys Targaryen. Dany smiled through the pain. “You're making me Senior Counsel?”

“Better!” croaked Robert happily. “We're making you Senior Litigator.”

_Litigator?_ Anything was better than that. _Little_ was better than that. Dany's smile wavered. “Senior Litigator? I thought the promotion was for Senior Counsel. . .”

Tywin answered, “We had an opening for a new Senior Counsel, but we gave the position to Loras Tyrell.”

Dany felt as though her stomach was turning into a black hole, swallowing her up. “Loras? But. . . Loras has only been here for a year. He was only working part-time.”

“And you've only been here for two years,” replied Tywin. “You look disappointed. I thought you'd be excited.”

Finally, Dany managed to fix her smile. “I am excited. Sorry, just a little surprised is all.” She shouldn't have been surprised at all. Loras's father was a close friend of Robert and Tywin after all. “Litigation has never been my strong suit.”

“Not your strong suit?” Robert asked with a chortle. “You know what we call you? Our little dragon. Fierce, dedicated, loyal. I'm ready to see you breathe a little fire.”

Somehow, Dany managed to keep that fake smile plastered on her face long enough to make it out of the office suite, into the parking structure, and into her car. Then, the tears and hyperventilation ensued. Her face turned beet red, chest heaving like she were fighting to stay above water. She picked her braid up and draped it over the headrest to give her neck some air. She unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off to let her arms breathe. She dug her phone out of her purse and dialed Missandei's number and spent the next ten minutes ranting about the whole ordeal to her voicemail. 

_“Litigator? I can't litigate, Missi. I can barely order my own food at a fucking drive through window. They want me to go to court. As in, trial. How could they possibly think that sending me to represent our clients at trial is a good idea? How, Missi? I wouldn't be able to represent myself out of a fucking jaywalking ticket! Isn't that the joke your husband likes to make all the time? I'm going to lose the firm so much money, they'll have to fire me. This is horrible. I should have just told them I quit. This isn't fair.”_

A granola bar brought Dany's blood pressure down and eventually, she was calm enough to go back into the office. She pulled her shirt back on, fixed her hair and went back up to the top floor of the tall corporate building. Soon, she would get her first assignment as a litigator, but Dany tried her best not to think about that. She had things to sort through before pushing her clients onto her co-workers anyway. She went straight into her office and shut the door. Under her desk, she kicked off her heels. The cool carpet felt good against her feet. 

Just as she logged onto her work computer, there was a knocking at her office door. She heaved a sigh and quickly tugged her heels back on. She pulled up her Outlook and skimmed her unread emails while calling out a “Come in!”

The door creaked open.

“Hey, Daisy.”

Dany's heart stopped in the moment it took her eyes to flit from her monitor to the man standing in the doorway. “Jon?” she said, the name leaving her mouth just above a whisper. 

Was she hallucinating? Had she fallen asleep in her Camry and gotten herself stuck in a dream? But it seemed so real. There he stood, older now, but no less handsome. He was in a suit, no jacket. A skinny black tie, but the top button of his white dress shirt was unbuttoned. He was still lean, but his shoulders were wider. Muscles stretched the fabric around his biceps. His slacks were fitted to the leg. _Why are you looking at his pants?_ His hair was as long as she remembered, but pulled back behind his head, leaving a few loose curls to hang down the back of his neck. He had grown a short beard, just black stubble really, but enough of it to look intentional. He had to be twenty-eight now. More than four years since Dany last saw him. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, blue eyes rounded with surprise. “Are you here to see me?”

“Well, kind of. I mean, your name is on the door, so it would be pretty silly of me to expect to see someone else.” He was smiling. Small, cheeky, and genuine, like he was happy to see Dany. He came into the office. Instead of sitting at one of the chairs opposite Dany, he perched himself on the edge of her clutter-free desk. 

“I'm confused.” Dany looked up at him, mouth dry. “Do you need a lawyer?”

He chuckled. “I am a lawyer. Although, I'm sure you're much better at it than I am. Senior Litigator, huh? That's pretty impressive.”

Dany's silver brows furrowed. “How do you know about my promotion?”

“It's all over the office. Y'all gossip more than teenagers here.”

“I'm sorry.” Dany shook her head like maybe Jon would vanish like an etch-a-sketch if she did. But nope, Jon remained staring down at her with his dark eyes. “What are you doing here again?”

“I work here.”

She blinked a few times. “Here? In this office?”

“Yeah. You didn't know? I started a couple days ago, but you haven't been here.”

“I was on a business trip,” she mumbled. 

“Yeah, I applied all over town for part-time positions just to get a little extra green, ya know? I took over this guy, Loras's, job. Sounds like I'll just be doing a lot of dirty work for you and the rest of them, though.”

_For you._ Jon Snow was going to be working underneath Dany?

“We should catch up,” Jon said. “Get lunch or something.”

“I brought my lunch.”

“Come on. I'll buy. I just got a new job, ya know.”

Dany finally managed to exhale. Jon. . . Here. . . Lunch. . . “No. I'll pay. I just got a promotion after all.”

“Nonsense. I'm the one dragging you away from your tuna sandwich, or whatever you brought. My treat. How about one o'clock?”

Dany nodded, and Jon hopped off her desk with a brighter smile. 

“I'm in that guy, Loras's, old office. You know where it is, I'm guessing?”

She nodded again. 

“Sweet. I'll meet you there at one then.” On his way to the door, he said, “You can take your shoes back off now.”

“How did you know I took my shoes off?” 

Jon turned and gave her a little wink and said, “Because I know you hate wearing heels.” Before the smile could even form on Dany's face, Jon turned on his heel and left her office, shutting the door behind him. Dany gulped, eyes staring down at her desk top. 

Jon. . .

* * * * *

Always so punctual, Dany arrived to Loras's former office at precisely one o'clock. The name on the door had already changed. "JON SNOW" and beneath, "Junior Associate." The whole walk from her office to Jon's, Dany ignited her inner strength to simply knock on the door, but her self-motivation was unnecessary. Jon's door was wide open, and Jon stood just within his office, caught up in a friendly conversation with Loras. The way they spoke to each other, all smiles and pats on the shoulder, anyone would assume they were already close friends and not co-workers who met just the other day. Dany had worked alongside Loras for a year and never reached the level of familiarity where she could call him "bro," but maybe that was just a male thing.

It became clear to Dany that things had not changed. Jon was still everyone's pal, so personable and charming. He was talking about golf with Loras. Golf? Surely Jon had not become a golf fan in their time apart. He was congratulating Loras on a recent hole-in-one with another pat on the shoulder. Dany had never intentionally touched anyone in the office in her two years of employment, save for cordial hand shakes upon first meeting, but even those were forced.

Standing in the doorway, Dany cleared her throat. Both men suddenly turned her way.

"Do you need me for something?" Loras immediately asked her, as if Dany would ever _need_ Loras for anything.

Before Dany could rebuff her co-worker, Jon looked at the watch on his wrist, a brown leather band, and said, “Oh, it's one already? Good. I am starving.” He looked to Dany with a smile. “You ready to go?”

“You two are getting lunch?” Loras asked, raising a skeptical brow. Dany never went to lunch with anyone. Every day, she brought the same thing: chicken noodle soup, Hot Cheetos, and a Diet Coke, and she always ate at her desk with the office door closed. It was a well known fact around the office that Dany preferred to socialize as little as possible with everyone else in the office. 

“Yeah,” Jon answered as he rummaged through his desk drawer for his wallet. “We're just going to catch up a bit.”

“You two know each other?” Loras asked. 

Oh no. . . the truth was out about Dany. She actually knew people. 

“We went to high school together,” said Dany.. 

“And college,” Jon added casually.

Such a nonchalant reference gripped Dany's belly and spun it til she felt ill. Maybe Jon didn't care about what happened in Berkeley anymore. Maybe it was water under the bridge now. Maybe he realized Dany was just a pitiable wreck, and now he would buy her lunch and ask her if she'd sought therapy since they last saw each other. The answer would be no. Targaryens didn't do therapy. At least, not according to her father. 

“Small world,” Loras chuckled. “Wait. I thought you went to an all-girls school.” He gave Jon a look. “Is there something you aren't telling me?”

“You caught me.”

Dany killed the joke with an explanation. “I only went to an all-girls school my senior year.”

Wallet secured in Jon's back pocket, Jon rested his hands on his hips, looked at Dany with a soft expression, and asked, “Ready?”

* * * * *

They went to the Green Leaf Cafe, a modest diner-style restaurant just down the street. They walked, mostly in silence, side by side. The walkway was narrow, though, and whenever another pedestrian would head their way, Jon would rest his hand on Dany's shoulder and bring her in front of him to avoid a collision. The act seemed so natural, like it was something Dany should have been accustomed to, and in some strange way, she was. Just being around Jon took her back to how she was when she was a teenager, enraptured by the smallest of manipulations Jon made to her person. Dany became painfully aware of how nothing had really changed for her in regard to Jon Snow. 

But small manipulations were all he did. Other than the occasional hand on her shoulder to move her out of someone's way, Jon kept his hands firmly in his pockets. 

It wasn't until they were seated at a booth, facing one another, that any real conversation happened. 

“I didn't know you went to law school,” Dany said, absentmindedly twirling the straw about her water glass, making the ice cubes rattle. 

“It was sort of a spontaneous decision.” His mouth twitched with a small smile. “I'd applied without any real intention of going, but then. . . I don't know. Maybe I was inspired, just a little.”

Dany fidgeted slightly in her seat. “By me?” 

“Sure. Is that so hard to believe? You can be very inspiring, Dany.”

_Dany._ She couldn't decide which she enjoyed more. Jon calling her Dany, or Jon calling her Daisy. They both rolled off his tongue so smoothly, and in the same deep tenor. 

“So what's new with you?” Jon asked. “Besides the big promotion.”

Dany shrugged, eyes looking down at the ice floating in her glass. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? I haven't seen you in four years. Something's got to be different.”

“I, um. . . I work a lot. I have my own apartment. No pets because I travel sometimes, and it would just be a hassle. My dad bought me a car as a gift when I started working for Lannister & Baratheon. I. . . I don't know. Then there's my promotion, which. . .”

“You don't look happy about.”

Dany released a sigh, shoulders slumping. “Fucking Loras got the job I wanted.”

“Senior Litigator is a better position.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Maybe. But, I don't want to. . . I can't. . . I much prefer doing things behind the scenes.”

Jon took a few moments to respond, eventually saying, “You're still afraid.”

Quickly, Dany shook her head, but her eyes gave her away. “I won't be able to do it. I haven't litigated since that stupid mock trail in college.”

“You won the mock trial.”

She laughed humorlessly. “That was college. It wasn't a real case. This is real.”

“Dany. . .” Jon leaned forward, elbows on the table. “We both know you did not treat that mock trail like it was fake. You nailed it, though, and you'll nail this new position.”

How did it always happen like this? How was it that Jon always seemed to pop up when Dany needed someone the most? Or was it simply that Dany could not realize she needed someone until Jon came around? 

“What are you getting?” Jon asked Dany, eyes flitting from her to the menu opened before her. 

“Honestly. . . I could go for the tuna sandwich.”

Jon smiled and leaned back. A server came over a minute later. Jon ordered for the both of them, then handed the server both their menus. Dany's eyes never left his mouth the whole while. 

“What about guys?” Jon asked once the server had gone to put in their order. 

“Guys?”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” Dany answered quickly, but then she remembered Daario. “Well. . . there is someone, but we're not a thing. We're not in an actual relationship.”

Jon's head bobbed slowly, eyes studying Dany's facial expression as it went from anxious to mortified. The corner of his mouth lifted. “So, y'all are just fucking?”

Dany brought her hands to her face, rubbing her fingertips into her eyes. “That's. . . I don't want to talk about it.”

“I'm not judging you.”

“What about you?” asked Dany, dropping her hands to her lap. “Are with anyone?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I was in a pretty serious thing, but that's over now. We split almost a year ago.”

“A year is a while.”

“Yeah.” Jon drew out the word like he didn't truly agree. Sometimes a year was not a long time. Sometimes a year felt like just a day ago. Sometimes four years felt just like five seconds ago. 

It wasn't until they were walking back to the office that Jon asked Dany what he really invited her out to ask. “Should we talk about what happened the last time we saw each other?”

Dany's spine went rigid. She had been hoping he wouldn't bring that night up. . . She had been hoping they could simply pretend like it never happened, just to save herself the added embarrassment of having to verbally rationalize it all. She could barely rationalize it in her own mind. “I don't think that's necessary.”

“Dany. . .” Jon stopped and put his hand on Dany's arm to stop her as well. Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, half way between Green Leaf and the office building, Jon said, “I'd like to talk about it.”

Would Dany ever not wilt under his touch? Her lips parted, releasing a slow breath. “I'd rather not.”

Silence enveloped them, different from the other silences. Jon's hand was hot against the space of skin just below the short sleeve of Dany's white blouse, his thumb moving ever so subtly to caress her small bicep. In her four inch heels, Dany was only a few inches shorter than Jon. While normally she longed to feel of equal height to her male counterparts in the office, Dany missed feeling little with him, little enough to be wrapped up tightly in his arms, disappearing her from the outside world. 

“Be honest with me,” Jon softly implored. “Did I hurt you?”

Dany sucked in a short breath. Is that what he thought? Had he been thinking that for the past four years? Surely she had not given the impression like Jon had harmed her. Although. . . she had left him in quite a flurry. The tears could not have helped. 

“No,” she soon spoke, just above a whisper. 

“Are you sure?” Jon asked. 

She nodded, eyes on his mouth as he spoke a phrase that triggered her insidious arousal. 

“I never stopped thinking about that night.”

The words stroked her better than Daario's hands ever had. Dany breathed them in like lines out of a filthy movie. 

When Dany did not reply, Jon asked, “Are you okay with me working here?”

“Of course.”

He nodded and retracted his hand from her, making the spot suddenly cold in his absence.

* * * * *

As soon as Dany got back to her office, she shut the door, sat heavily in her desk chair, and kicked off her heels. She didn't know what to do with herself. She wasn't a virgin anymore. She wasn't a naive little girl. She had been touched. She'd had sex many times. Well, maybe not _many,_ but definitely at least a dozen times. Yet Jon still managed to entrap her with his spell. 

Her thighs were damp with sweat and arousal. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair until she felt the seam of her panties graze her clitoris just right. She leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes, trying to control herself. _Deep breaths, Daenerys._ In. Out. In. Out. 

She dug into her purse and found her phone, sending a text to Daario, the man she had been, as Jon put it, _fucking_ for the last three months. They had met in an online chat room. At first, Dany was terrified to learn that she had been sexting with someone who lived in the same city as she and actually broke off contact for about a week before his persistent texts convinced her to just go for it. 

It was never anything explosive. Dany would go over to his apartment every now and then after work, when she was especially wound up and in need of a release. They would drink a beer each. Dany never finished hers, because Daario was always pulling the bottle from her hand before the last sip so he could undress her. He never took her bra off, which Dany always found odd, but she never asked him about it. He would leave her panties on as well and simply pull the fabric to the side. He liked it when Dany kept her heels on, too. That was the one thing that truly annoyed Dany. She already knew she was short, but Daario's infatuation with pretending she was taller always served to remind Dany that she was _too_ short. 

It was always missionary. Either on his bed, the sofa, or the floor. Once, inexplicably, it was on the bathroom floor. Jon would have hated that.

_Stop thinking about Jon._

And when it was over, Dany always walked away with more of Daario's sweat on her body than her own. Dany never stayed the night. She never wanted to, and he never asked her to. 

Daario texted back within minutes. Dany would go over to his place at eight. 

* * * * *

The following day, Dany did not go out for lunch with Jon again. In fact, Dany did her best to avoid Jon in the days that followed. Even them being in the same conference room together during the weekly meeting with the partners was near torture. Her skin crawled, reaching out for his touch. Her insides ached, and her panties were soaked. 

“What is wrong with you?” she would often whisper to herself, alone in her office after narrowly avoiding Jon in the hallway. 

Two weeks went by of exchanging little more than a quick “excuse me” as Dany past him in the hallway. But while Dany was struggling to be near Jon, Jon was struggling to stay away. After those two weeks, he was fed up with it, and went to her office. 

“You want to take a walk?” he asked. 

It was one thing to avoid him, but Dany could never deny Jon anything. She slid back into her heels, pulled on her black cardigan and followed Jon out of the office. 

The building was beside a long marina where rich people would dock their yachts. It was only a few meters between the lobby and the foot bridge over the water. It was a chilly day, unusually so for Los Angeles, and a slight breeze rustled through Dany's long hair. 

“Have you been avoiding me?” was the first thing Jon asked when they were standing at the railing which separated the bridge from the sea. 

“I don't know,” Dany lied, arms wrapped around herself, eyes trained at the greenish-blue water. 

“We should talk about what happened.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It has nothing to do with that. I'm just. . .” She took in a deep breath, forcing herself to make eye contact with Jon. He was wearing a navy blazer that made his shoulders extra wide and his waist look extra slim. He hadn't gained an ounce of weight that wasn't muscle. “I just don't really know how to act around you. You make me nervous.”

“Why?”

“I don't know why you're here. I don't know what you want from me.”

He stepped closer to her. “I'm here because I missed you.”

Dany's heart stopped.

“I want what you want. You know that.”

She shook her head. 

“Do you remember high school?”

She almost laughed. Remember it? She thought of high school all the time, but only the parts with Jon. That was where it all started, wasn't it? This sickness that possessed her so. Jon had gotten inside her and stirred her all up, and she was never the same after that. But was it really his fault? Maybe he was always meant to be this way, to want what she wanted. _I want what you want._ How could he?

“After you were puking in the bathroom,” Jon continued, “and I gave you that piece of gum. The way you looked at me. . . No one had ever looked at me like that before. It was like you. . .”

“Were a scared child?” Dany finished for him. 

Her words hit Jon like a slap across the face. He suddenly felt like this was all a big mistake. He never should have taken this job knowing he would see Dany every day. Obviously, they weren't cut out for it. They're passions were the fleeting sort. Momentary and out of the blue. “I should get back to work,” Jon said, turning away from her. 

As soon as he turned his back to Dany, she wanted to grab hold of his arm and pull him back to her, but she was never so brave. But, she was braver than she had been in high school, maybe even braver than she had been in college, though that was not saying much. 

“Jon,” she called out before he reached the lobby doors. 

He turned, hands dug inside his pockets. 

“What were you going to say?” she asked desperately. “In the bathroom. It was like I, what?”

Jon didn't respond at first. His eyes flitted to the toes of his shoes, then out toward the horizon, then finally falling on Dany. “It was like you needed me.”

Dany swallowed hard, making room for courage in her throat. She took careful steps to Jon, her heels clacking against the concrete evenly. “I. . .” she took a couple breaths. “I did need you. I had the biggest crush on you even before I started at Harrenhal. And when you came all the way to Maidenpool to see me. . . I was the happiest I had ever been in my life, because I thought maybe you needed me, too. But then you abandoned me like everyone else--”

“Dany, that was--”

“I know. And then I abandoned you right back. So, maybe we can just call it even and put everything behind us.”

Dany's ears zeroed in on Jon's breathing until it was all she could hear. That is, until his voice asked, “That's what you want? To put all of that behind us?”

Her lips parted, and Dany realized how chapped they were. “I don't know.”

“Do you want me to quit?”

“No!” she stated louder than intended. He couldn't leave now. Dany wouldn't let him. Maybe it was torture to be around him, but it was a torture Dany suddenly could not live without. “I don't want that.”

He released a sigh. “Is this about the guy?”

“What guy?”

“Your guy. The guy you're fucking. Do you love him?”

Dany felt all the blood drain from her body. Jon always did liked to use blunt words rather than tame himself with euphemisms. But had he said 'The guy you're sleeping with. Do you have feelings for him?' he wouldn't be the Jon Dany craved so deeply. 

“No,” Dany answered adamantly. “I barely know him. I don't want to know him. We just. . .”

“Fuck?”

Dany blushed. Oh how she loved to hear that word from Jon's lips, but not in reference to Daario. “Yes,” she admitted. 

Jon backed up until he was leaning against the building facade. He nodded slowly, seeming to ponder something, or maybe just trying to figure out how to phrase his next question. 

“Does he give you what you need?” he asked. 

_Need._ There was that word again. Another word that went straight to Dany's loins, but in reference to Daario, it felt tainted. “What do you mean?” she asked in return. 

“You know what I mean.”

Did she? Yes. . . Yes, she knew exactly what Jon was talking about, but only subconsciously. Only that part of her mind Dany tried so hard to keep locked away in a dark corner, never to be heard from again. But then Jon had to show up and unleash it. Dany was still trying to wrap her mind around it all, to cope with her true nature, a nature which scared her as much as it excited her, confused her as much as it made complete sense. 

She wasn't speaking. She hadn't the words to express what all she was feeling in that moment, or what all she wished to say. 

So, Jon asked the same question in a different way. “Does he make you come?”

Dany had reached a level of flustered that went well beyond blushing. She was paralyzed, grating her top front teeth against her bottom lip and ringing her hands in front of her. Jon reached out and took a hand in his, enveloping her perspiring flesh in his dry grip. Jon, and gravity itself, pulled Dany closer until they were just a foot part. 

This was how it always began. Standing a mere foot apart. Twelve inches. Maybe even less. Dany clutched his hand tightly, as if needing it to balance. 

“Does he make you come?” Jon asked again, voice lower, quieter, haunting. 

Dany wet her lips. “I. . .” she swallowed. “I come.”

“That's not what I asked,” Jon replied. “Does _he_ make you come?”

Something akin to a moan escape Dany's throat as she exhaled. Jon was different now. The same, but different, like he had everything figured out now. Oh how Dany wished she could say the say of herself. “Does it matter? Coming is coming, right?”

“No.” Jon pushed himself off the wall. Standing straight now, they were suddenly much closer than twelve inches, and Dany could not stop wetting her lips. Jon leaned in until his lips were just barely grazing the folds of her ear. He whispered so softly someone standing on the other side of Dany would not be able to hear. “I know how to make you come.” A shiver circuited through Dany's body and a shudder left her breath. “All you have to do is say yes,” Jon said. 

Her eyes fluttered, fingers flexed tightly around Jon's palm, heart pounded against her chest like a tennis ball being thrown repeatedly against a backboard. “I. . .”

“No,” he said. “Either yes, or no.”

Dany swallowed once more, though her mouth was long dry. “I. . .”

“If you say _I don't know,_ I will take it as a no.”

Her eyes shut completely and she took in a deep inhale, smelling his aftershave. Not the same as when they were younger, but still so intoxicating. How did he always manage to pick scents which shook Dany to her core? What greater being bestowed him with this power to melt her into a puddle with just his scent. Through her exhale, Dany finally gave her answer. “Yes.”

Jon's free hand cupped Dany's cheek, and he leaned back. His thumb gently stroking her cheek bone coaxed Dany's eyes to open. Staring into her blue pools, Jon asked, “Are you sure?”

Oh why did he always have to push things? Was it not enough that he got her to agree to do something that terrified her so? He needed her to agree to it a second time?

“Yes,” Dany repeated. 

Her reward followed swiftly. Jon leaned in and touched his lips to hers. A barely-there kiss which still left Dany whimpering. After a few moments, he applied more pressure. Just a bit. And a few moments after that, his lips parted. The tip of his tongue touched her front teeth before meeting hers in a slow swirl. Dany was in Heaven, floating above the clouds. It did not matter that they were standing just outside the lobby of their office building. She would have let Jon do anything to her right there, right now. Anything. 

When Jon broke the kiss, Dany was near panting. “We should get back to work,” he softly said. “But tonight. . . I want to come over to your place. Is that okay?”

“Yes.” The word was becoming easier and easier to say each time Dany spoke it. Maybe that was why Jon kept insisting she reaffirm this commitment she was making to go a second round with the first person who ever touched her like she was a real person in need of affection and care. 

“Okay.” He pressed another gentle kiss to her lips. “Starting right now, you're not to contact that guy anymore. I want you to block his number so he can't contact you either. Okay?”

“Okay,” she breathed, having already forgotten who Daario was. 

“Don't worry,” Jon said with a small sincerely smile. “I'm going to take care of you now.”

She nodded and quickly accepted one last kiss. 

“Do you want me to walk up with you?”

She shook her head. “I think I need a minute.”

When Jon was gone, and Dany was alone in the September chill, she dropped to her knees and turned onto her butt, leaning her back against the wall where Jon had just been standing. She was lightheaded, like she'd stood up too quickly. She pressed the back of her head against the wall and took in a series of deep breaths. Then, she took out her phone and did precisely as Jon bid her. She went to her settings and blocked Daario's number before deleting it from her contacts. 

The action brought a small smile to Dany's face. _Don't worry._ Daario had been a crutch. Someone to give her a small fraction of what she needed just so she wouldn't starve, but nothing Dany did with Daario nourished her, never filled her. Jon was here now, and Jon was no crutch. Jon was the unlimited buffet stocked with all of Dany's favorite things. She wouldn't even have to order. He would already present her with exactly what she wanted. _Needed._

_Don't worry,_ he'd promised. _I'm going to take care of you now._

And somehow, even after so many years apart, Dany believed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the chapter one notes, this fic jumps around in time, so if you're thinking "What the heck happened in college?" or "What the heck happened at Maidenpool?" don't worry, you'll find out!


	3. Chapter 3

**MAY, 2014**

Extra credit and free lunch for a week was a pretty sweet deal for a struggling college student about to graduate, but that wasn't why Jon signed up to be a jurist for UC Berkeley's mock trials. It was because he had heard that one of the trials would feature a particular second year law student named Daenerys Targaryen. But, in Jon's mind, she would always be his Daisy. 

It had been difficult to forget about her. So difficult in fact that Jon never did. He felt so guilty the way they left things five years ago. In total, he and Dany must have spent no more than two hours in each other's company, and yet those two nonconsecutive hours made it so Jon never looked at another girl without comparing her to Dany. And no one ever stacked up. 

It wasn't just that Dany was brilliant, because Jon had not realized the magnitude of her brain until after he decided she was the one for him. It wasn't just that she was beautiful, though that fact came a close second to the real reason. It was because the air between them felt different in his lungs. It was because, when Dany looked into his eyes, he felt her gaze within his soul. It was because, when he touched her, it felt like he was touching a part of himself that he had been missing his whole life. 

No, it wasn't love at first sight, because Jon had seen Dany many, many times before they were ever alone together. She had lived next door to his family's house for years after all. She had been in most of his classes for more than three years. Sure, Jon noticed her. She had been a mousy little thing right up until the Summer before their Senior year. A late bloomer, Jon had suspected. But by the end of that Summer, Jon found himself unable to pry his eyes off the upstairs window that looked down into the Targaryens' backyard when Dany would take a dip in her pool or read a book under the shade of their lemon tree. 

He couldn't understand why, even when Senior year rolled around, Dany remained friendless. Jon had so many friends he couldn't remember all their names. He had run out of space in the contacts list in his flip phone to store all their numbers. But Dany – though, at that point, Jon still thought her true name was Daisy – never hung out with anyone. It intimidated Jon actually. He wondered if she saw something in everyone that he didn't, that they were all fake and unworthy of her time. Jon assumed he would be equally as unworthy of her time. What would a brilliant, beautiful girl like Dany need with the black sheep of the Stark family? A boy not even good enough to have his father's last name. A boy who was treated like a parolee by his step-mother, simply because his real mother had been a junkie and a thief. It didn't matter than Jon had never so much as smoked a joint or swiped a candy bar from the drug store. He was tainted from birth. Not Dany. Dany was perfect. 

Okay. . . maybe not _perfect,_ but who was perfect? She had one major flaw: her crippling fear of public speaking. And of course, Harrenhal being as pretentious as it was, Speech and Debate was a required class for all Seniors. Poor Dany. . . Jon wanted to jam his heel into the legs of everyone who laughed at her. It wasn't her fault. Everyone had something they were afraid of. 

He hadn't planned on confronting Dany in the bathroom, though he had been hoping to catch her as she was heading back to class to make sure she was alright. Maybe he didn't have the courage to ask her out, but he had the decency at least to be kind to someone when they needed it. But when he heard her barfing in the ladies' room, he had to check on her immediately. 

Seeing her face in that filthy bowl and her bare knees on that slimy floor, Jon nearly had a fit. He wanted to scoop her up into his arms and put her in a bath. Instead, he simply asked if she was okay. Part of him expected her to snap at him. She was too good for everyone else, after all, and far too good to be wasting breath on Jon. But she didn't. She fell, wedging herself between the toilet and the cubical wall. 

God no. Not that nasty toilet. Jon pulled her up as quick as Dany would allow him. And then. . .

The way Dany looked at him. Not superior, not annoyed, not pretentious. She looked sweet, soft, and pretty. Even after having puked up an incredible amount of what looked like hamburger meat, she looked stunning. Most of all, though, she looked at him like he mattered, like she was grateful to have someone help her up off the floor and tell her not to listen to those assholes who had the nerve to laugh at her. 

She let him drop a piece of gum into her mouth. She even trusted Jon enough to spit it out into his hand when she was finished with it. He couldn't let her wear that nasty sweater, so he gave her his. She let him put it on her, let him roll up the sleeves and button it up for her. Jon had never dressed anyone but himself before. He loved it. He loved getting to make Dany look better and feel better. It was a drug. He dreaded going back to class. He needed to see her again, and so he asked her out. Or rather, asked to hang out at her place since her house would be empty. 

And she'd said yes.

But then. . . her parents came home. Something about forgetting a checkbook. Fuck. . . the universe despised Jon. That was all he could surmise from the experience of being thrown out of Dany's home because her parents walked in on him fondling her tit and kissing her the way lovers kiss. 

It wasn't fair. 

And by the time his courage had charged enough to allow him to knock on her door and speak to the very man who had told him _“Get out,”_ she was gone. And he wouldn't even tell Jon where they had sent her. 

Things were not meant to be between them when they were teenagers, but when Jon realized that Daenerys Targaryen was a law student at the very university where Jon was doing his undergrad. . . he about fell out of his chair. The thought had crossed his mind: _Did she know I was a student here when she applied?_ It wasn't as if they were from Northern California, and Dany had done her undergrad in Massachusetts. 

It felt like a sign, and what with Jon graduating in less than a month, he had to act fast. 

But, of course, it was always better to make an entrance. So rather than stalk Dany's Facebook and hunt her down on campus, Jon decided to make their reunion more official. After all, there was no rule that said mock jurors couldn't have history with the mock attorneys. He just had to sign some form that said he would be as impartial as possible. It didn't matter. Dany was going to nail it. . . unless she was still deathly afraid of speaking in public. 

The mock trials were held in a large conference room in the legal library. Dany was stammering every other word even before her eyes caught Jon sitting on the mock jurors bench. 

Shit. . . Jon had made it even worse for her. Her eyes had widened upon seeing him, and it took her almost a full minute to get back on track. Jon was surprised that Dany had even gone the law school route. He assumed, with her anxiety, she would choose a career that was not so heavily focused on interacting with others. But, for the same reason, Jon was proud of her. 

Sure, her opening statement sucked, but if Jon was forced to do an assignment that was his literal worst fear, he would have probably pissed himself. Not Dany, though. Her gray pencil skirt remained perfectly dry, though Jon was certain if she peeled off her black blazer, he would see just how much she was perspiring. 

There was a break after opening statements, and Jon moved through the crowd of students with his eye trained on Dany, following her at a short distance out of the room and into a narrow corridor. She was on her way to the restroom, possibly to throw up. She had hopped out of her black Mary Jane heels, holding them in her hand as she walked barefoot down the hall. 

“Daisy!” Jon called out before she could disappear into the ladies' room. Now being a more rational adult, Jon had more qualms about following girls into bathrooms and didn't want to take any chances. 

Despite it not even being her name, despite no one having called her Daisy in five years, Dany turned. 

“W-what are you doing here?” she asked him, breathing rapidly the way one does after facing their phobia. Her blue eyes were glossy with tears. She began to suck the pink gloss off her bottom lip. 

“I go to school here,” Jon replied. 

“You do?” She looked genuinely shocked, but not disappointed, and Jon took that as a win. “I didn't know that. Are you here for grad school?”

“No.” Jon pushed his hands into his pockets. “I took that gap year after high school, so I'm graduating in a few weeks. “How are you already a second year law student?”

“I, um. . .” she swiped the pad of her index finger under her eyelid, an attempt to dry a tear away without smudging her mascara. “I graduated early from Harvard.”

Jon smiled proudly. “Of course you did.”

“I have to--” Dany turned around, then turned back, then did an awkward twirl. “I need water.”

“Come on.” Jon put his arm around her shoulders and led her down the corridor and into the elevator room. He hated that Dany's bare feet were catching every piece of dirt on the library floor, but he pushed that out of his mind, because he suspected the heels were killing her ankles. 

Beside the elevators was a vending machine. Jon put a few ones in and hit the Aquafina button twice. He cracked open a bottle and handed it to Dany, then kept the second for himself. 

Dany didn't hesitate. She drank half the bottle in a matter of seconds. The plastic cracked as it regained its shape once Dany parted her mouth from the opening. “Thank you,” she said. “I have money.”

“It's okay.”

They walked slowly back to the conference room. Very slowly, like it was a death march. Dany was too wrapped up in her head, freaking out over the rest of her mock trial to even fully process that Jon Snow himself was here with her, after all these years. Half a decade and he was still as gorgeous as ever. Even more so actually. Less thin, better style, and product holding his black curls in a clean formation. He was a man now. Twenty-three already. 

“It was just your birthday,” Dany blurted out suddenly. 

Jon chuckled. “Yeah, a couple weeks ago. Yours is coming up.”

She smiled up at him, finally beginning to relax. “Yeah, a couple weeks from now.”

“It's good to see you.”

“Really?”

“Don't be nervous. You're doing great.”

For a moment, Dany thought Jon was praising her skills at conversing with him, but then she remembered the mock trial. Shit. . . She groaned. “I'm doing terrible. It's humiliating. I've been dreading this for--”

“Hey.” Jon took her shoulders in his hands and looked earnestly into her eyes. “You're doing great. You look fucking amazing. I'm sure you've put more work into today than anyone else. The only thing standing in your way, is your nerves. So just take some deep breaths, remember how awesome you are, and kill it.”

She released her bottom lip from between her teeth. “I haven't slept in forty-eight hours. Are you here, or am I hallucinating?”

He laughed and released her shoulders, digging into his pocket and drawing out his school ID. “I'm here. Look.” He showed her his name and photo on the Berkeley card. 

The corners of her mouth lifted slowly. “Mug shot.”

“Rude.” He returned the card to his pocket, still smiling. 

Dany took a few more chugs from the water bottle, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Shit, now I'm going to have to pee during the next round.”

“Do you want to hang out after this? Or, you probably need sleep. How about tomorrow night?”

Dany blinked up at him as if the words were struggling to register. Eventually, Dany replied, “Um. . . I sort of have a boyfriend.”

“Oh.” Jon inwardly cursed himself for being so foolish as to assume Dany was single and would just readily jump at the opportunity to rekindle what they had started five years ago. “That's cool. I mean, I just wanted to meet somewhere and catch up, but if you think he wouldn't be cool with it. . .”

“No, no,” Dany quickly said. “It isn't like that. He, um. . . I don't think he would mind. We could--”

“You could bring him along,” Jon suggested, really overcompensating for his previous flub.

“Really?” Dany mulled the scenario over, not really liking the thought of having her boyfriend of two months meet the man she had been madly in love with as a teenager. “I don't know.”

“It'll be fine,” Jon insisted. “I'll bring this girl I've been seeing.”

Dany's eyes flashed with jealousy, but Jon assumed it was just surprise, because if she was jealous, that would mean she was still interested in him. Indeed, Jon had been casually seeing a girl he met in his Environmental Ethics class last semester, but it was _super_ casual. They would meet up every other week or so for drinks and a game of pool when they had no other dates lined up, and sometimes they would hang out at one of their apartments and fuck. 

Shit. . . Jon suddenly did not like the idea of Dany meeting the girl he was casually fucking. He had been a virgin when he and Dany hooked up that night in high school. In an ideal world, he would have eventually lost his virginity to Dany, but that was not meant to be, so the first girl he had sex with was a Warped Tour merch-girl in the back of a van with a broken air conditioner. Not a great time.

“Okay,” Dany soon agreed, much trepidation in her tone. 

“Let me get your phone number.” 

Dany handed Jon her iPhone and watched him type in his number. She then watched while he texted himself so that he could program her number into his own phone. When he handed Dany's phone back to her, she looked at the screen and saw that the message he had texted himself was just three daisy emojis. Her cheeks twinged pink. She couldn't help but smile. 

Finally, Dany had Jon Snow's phone number. No longer would she have to wonder what he was up to or if he even remembered her. He was right here, programmed into her phone. All she would ever need to do was type out a “Hey,” and she could be conversing with him whenever, wherever she wanted. Only a tap of the phone icon, and she could be hearing his voice through the speaker. The worst day of her life quickly turned into the best day. Fuck the mock trial. She got Jon Snow's phone number. She could do anything. 

* * * * *

Dany managed to only have a minor freak out when she and her boyfriend, Ramsay, arrived at Brick's Bar and Grill a whole five minutes late. Had Dany been by herself, she would have been on-time, but Ramsay took much longer in the bathroom than Dany had accounted for when she planned out the entire trip. He was supposed to be ready to go when she got to his dorm, but he was not. Dany was already dreading this encounter, but now she was late on top of it all. 

Why did she have to even mention Ramsay? It was just an invite to catch up after all. What harm could it have been to meet up with Jon alone?

A few seconds after they stepped into the busy restaurant, Dany heard her name being called over the chatter. Well, not her name so much as Jon's nickname for her. Dany turned and spotted him at a table toward the back. He waved at her, and she waved back. 

“Did he just call you Daisy?” asked Ramsay in a disapproving mutter as they made their way to the table. Clearly, he was not thrilled about this get together either. He much preferred to spend his Friday evenings playing Call of Duty and trying to convince Dany to suck his dick while he played Call of Duty. 

Jon was seated at a four-top beside a slender girl with fire-red hair. She was beautiful. A slim face with a dusting of freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were crystal blue. This was the girl Jon was seeing? How could Dany ever compete with her? 

No. . . She wasn't trying to compete with anyone, because Dany had a boyfriend. 

Jon and his date stood, and they all greeted each other in an awkward sort of friendliness that was almost too friendly. The redhead's name was Ygritte, like the Egret bird. Such a pretty name, unlike Dany's full name, which was just a jumble of syllables her parents thought worked together. She was tall too, almost as tall as Jon. They looked good together. Dany suddenly felt ill. 

They went through the usual pleasantries. 

It started with Jon asking Dany and Ramsay how they had met. "We had a class together last semester," Ramsay had said.

"That's how we met," Ygritte replied, motioning between her and Jon.

"And you both know each other from high school?" Ramsay asked, looking between Dany and Jon. He had his hand clasped firmly on Dany's thigh, like he was trying to keep her grounded in her seat.

"You don't know the story?" Ygritte asked, wearing a bright smile. "Oh, it's so cute."

"What story?" Ramsay asked Dany.

Jon told her? Dany's cheeks burned hot. Casually, Dany explained, "It's nothing really. We just got caught kissing by my parents"

Ygritte frowned at Jon. "You told me you both hooked up."

This time, Jon blushed. Dany had never seen Jon blush before. She hated Ygritte for making him do something so out of character. Even more so, Dany hated her for knowing what was something personal between Dany and Jon. 

“Hooking up is a broad term,” Jon vaguely replied, scratching at the back of his neck. He already decided he didn't like this guy Dany brought along. There was something about his eyes, or maybe it was the crooked way his face looked when he asked Dany, 'What story?' Ygritte wouldn't catch it. She wasn't afraid of anyone. But Dany was different. She wasn't confrontational. This guy could eat her alive if she let him, and Jon was afraid Dany would let him. 

“What happened?” Ramsay asked Dany. The two of them shared an uncomfortable moment together. 

This was a huge mistake, Dany thought. Ramsay was the jealous type. It was an endearing quality to Dany at first. She had crushed on Ramsay specifically for his confidence and his take-what-I-want attitude. Dany wanted a man who didn't want to see her with other men. But Ramsay didn't even like seeing her _talk_ to other men. Dany suspected the only reason Ramsay agreed to come out tonight was to size Jon up, or maybe to find out what all Dany hadn't told him. 

“It was nothing, really,” Dany said, but Ramsay's blue eyes pierced her so deeply, twisting inside her gut and making her feel sick. “We were making out, I guess. And when my parents walked in, I wasn't wearing a top, so it was just really embarrassing. And then they sent me off to an all girls' boarding school.”

“That's fucked up,” Ygritte said. “Boarding school because you got to second base? I was doing way worse shit than that when I was your age.”

“How old were you?” Ramsay asked Jon. 

The question felt like an accusation, or maybe Jon was simply reading into it too much. “Seventeen,” he replied. 

“Well, that's the second part of the story,” Ygritte said jovially, bouncing in her chair like they were discussing her favorite scene from her favorite soap opera. 

Dany's face flushed. Second part? Jon told her everything then. . .

“What's the second part?” Ramsay asked Dany. 

“I don't want to talk about this,” Dany said, covering up her discomfort with an awkward laugh. 

“It's a cute story,” Ygritte insisted. 

Hushed, Jon said to Ygritte. “Stop, she's embarrassed.”

“I'm not embarrassed,” Dany snapped, losing her nerve. She bore her eyes into Jon's, silently chastising him. _You're the one who hurt me._

Jon had never seen Dany angry before. He hated that it was directed at him, but he also knew he deserved it. “You're right,” he soon said to Dany, then addressed their dates. “I'm the one who's embarrassed. It's embarrassing for me, and Dany doesn't want to talk about it, so let's just not talk about it.” He looked back at Dany, an apology in his eyes. 

A cheery server came by to take their drink orders, but when it came time for Dany to make her request, she instead muttered, “I'm going to go get some air.” She stood and fast-walked out of the restaurant, leaving her sweater and purse draped across the back of her chair. Jon watched her go with regret. He immediately stood, but Ramsay insisted that he be the one to check on her. Oh, Jon did not like the sound of that, but Jon was not Dany's boyfriend. He wasn't responsible for making sure she was okay. And yet. . . Jon felt responsible. Jon _wanted_ to be responsible. 

Outside, Dany slumped her back against a light pole and rested the back of her head against the cool steal. Eyes closed, she took in a few deep breaths, trying to calm the tension that seized her body. But before she could will herself to relax, she felt a presence around her. Dany's first thought was of Jon. Of course he had come out to comfort her. That was who Jon was when he wasn't abandoning her. But when she opened her eyes, the ones looking back at her were not Jon's dark grays but Ramsay's cold blues. 

“What happened?” asked Ramsay, and the tone in his voice suggested he was not asking Dany what happened to make her so tense, but what happened between her and Jon. 

“Nothing,” she insisted. 

“Did you screw him?”

Dany's eye nearly popped out of her skull. She laughed as a reflex, though nothing about this exchange was in jest. “No,” she insisted. 

“Because, you told me you were a virgin.”

With a low groan, Dany raised her hands to her face and dug the tips of her fingers into the corners of her eyes. She felt a migraine coming on. “Can we just leave?” she asked. “I want to go.”

“I didn't even want to come here, Dany,” replied Ramsay. “But I came, because you wanted me to, and five minutes after we get here, you just want to leave? Why the fuck did we even come here in the first place? Why did you insist that I meet this asshole who you may or may not have screwed?”

“I didn't _screw_ him,” Dany insisted, emphasizing the word she loathed.

“Fine. Then let's just go,” he said.

“I've got to get my stuff.”

“I'll get it. You wait for me out here.” And then Ramsay was marching back into the restaurant. He put on a calm face and told Jon and Ygritte that Dany wasn't feeling well, and that he needed to take her home. He collected Dany's sweater and purse, then promptly left. 

Jon watched him go with a heavy frown. “I don't like leaving her with him.”

Ygritte chuckled softly before taking a sip of the rum and Coke the server had placed in front of her only moments ago. “Of course you don't.”

“So you saw it, too?” 

“I saw the way you were staring at her.”

Jon turned in his chair to give Ygritte a look. “What are you talking about?”

“You're still into her. It's obvious.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “This is when you go get her.”

“What?”

“Go. Get. Her,” Ygritte said, nudging her head in the direction of the door. “Go now, idiot. Go.”

With a furrowed brow and no plan, Jon stood and ran out of the restaurant. He circled around to the parking lot and caught sight of silver hair disappearing between the cars. 

“Dany!” he called out. 

A moment later, Dany reappeared from between the cars, arms folded around herself and looking questioningly across the parking lot at Jon. He hurried over to her, pushed his hair from his face, and said, “Are you okay?”

Dany looked back to where Ramsay was standing at his car, holding the passenger door open. He wore an impatient expression, but suddenly Dany wasn't so interested in appeasing her boyfriend. She looked back up at Jon. “I'm alright.”

“Are you sure? Because, you can stay here with us. Or, I could take you home.”

As much as Dany loved the idea of Jon taking her anywhere, Dany didn't want to be the damsel in distress. She didn't want Jon to take her home because he thought she couldn't handle getting there without him. She didn't want to need him so badly. “I'll be fine,” she assured. 

Jon released a breath. “Call me as soon as you get home, so I know you're safe.”

Dany smiled. “Okay.”

“And if you're not safe, but you don't want to tip anyone off, say something like. . . Ashley Simpson sucks.”

“I would never say something so false.”

“Exactly.” 

The way Dany was smiling made Jon want to wrap her up in his arms and never let go. The world wasn't safe for her. There were bad people in it, people like Ramsay who could fool you into thinking they are just charming guys, when really they were possessive and manipulative. Jon needed to protect her from him, and from everything else, but he couldn't. Dany was not his to protect. 

And so, he let her go. 

* * * * *

**MAY, 2009**

The stone bench was warm under Dany's bottom. Everything was warm. The California valley brought an abundance of dry heat that Dany was not used to, but she still preferred reading outdoors than inside her cramped dorm room which she shared with a very messy Sophomore. She was reading a library book, something out of the Gothic Romance section. She had thought with a genre title like Gothic Romance, it would be about a bunch of emo kids hooking up. Turned out, Gothic Romance mostly meant necromancy. Sure, there was sex, but it wasn't exactly erotic. More. . . creepy. Still, Dany found she quite enjoyed the strangeness of it all. She decided she would probably enjoy the horror genre, and made a mental note to check out some Stephen King books next. 

Just as she was getting into a passage where the male protagonist was performing a séance to try and revive his dead lover, a single word was shouted from across the empty lacrosse field, echoing in her ear. The word was, “Daisy!”

Dany's bow furrowed, and she looked up, focusing her eyes across the field and beyond the gate that encompassed the perimeter of the school grounds. She nearly gasped when she saw Jon Snow standing on the sidewalk, looking straight at her. He gave a wave just to drive home the fact that he had traveled four hours just to see her. 

For a few moments, Dany was paralyzed. She was shocked and perplexed. Her parents never even came all this way to visit her, rather sending her money in the mail with a short “Hope you're keeping your grades up” letter. But as soon as it registered in her brain that Jon Snow was really here, she jumped up and jogged across the field to meet him at the gate, leaving her book discarded on the bench.

“Hey, Daisy,” Jon greeted her with a warm smile. Despite it being a Friday, Jon was in plain clothes. A t-shirt and jeans. He looked the same as he did the last time Dany saw him, though perhaps his hair was a bit longer, and a bit more mussed. 

Dany was in her uniform still, plaid skirt down past her knees and a white blouse. She typically did not change into her lounge clothes until after dinnertime. “What are you doing here?” she asked, unable to keep the grin off her face. Surely there must have been an explanation. Surely Jon could not have come all this way just for her. 

But then he said, “I wanted to see you,” and Dany nearly melted. 

“How did you get here? Didn't you have class today?”

“I ditched my last couple of periods. And I've got a car now. My uncle gave me his old one for my eighteenth birthday.” 

“Wow,” she breathed. Dany didn't think Jon could get any cooler, but now he had his own car.

“So. . .” he said, “let's get out of here.”

“What do you mean?”

“They do let you out of here, don't they? Or are you a prisoner?” Jon asked. “If so, I could try and help you escape.”

She giggled softly. “I can get a two-hour pass, but that's it.”

“Go get the pass, and we'll grab something to eat.”

It hadn't even occurred to Dany that she run up to her room and change. She was so excited, she didn't want to waste one unnecessary moment. She ran straight to the administration office and filled out the two-hour pass form. Dany knew the school would automatically inform her parents about her leaving campus, but she would simply tell them she walked to the drug store for snacks. They wouldn't care. As long as they thought Dany wasn't hanging out with boys or anyone who did drugs, they couldn't care less what she did. 

Once things were in order, the evening administrator told Dany she needed to be back to campus by seven o'clock. One month from graduating high school and Dany had a seven o'clock curfew. But not even that could bring Dany's spirits down when Jon was waiting for her right outside. 

“This is it,” Jon said, showing Dany his new, old car the way a magician motions to the woman he's about to saw in half. “What do you think? Quite a beauty, huh?”

It was a Chevy pickup truck that had to be twenty years old. It was an odd blue color, the paint chipping off, and one of the tail lights was wrapped in red tape. But it was a car. 

“I like it,” Dany beamed. 

Jon chuckled. “It got me over the Grapevine at least.” He opened up the passenger side door for Dany, and after she climbed in, Jon pulled out the lap belt and buckled her in. He had to lean over her to do so, and Dany got a great big whiff of the coconut product in his hair. 

“You smell good,” she said. 

“Thanks.” He smiled at her, so close he could kiss her if he was bold enough. Instead, he said, “The CD player's busted, or else I'd play you some Ashley Simpson.”

Dany snorted, cheeks turning bright red. _Of course he would remember that._ “Hey. Don't be a hater. Ashley Simpson rocks.”

“I believe you.”

They drove to a strip mall a mile down the road. It was the same one Dany walked to when she really was just going to the drug store to buy snacks. They didn't go to the drug store, though. There was a pizza place on the corner. Jon asked what Dany wanted before ordering a medium double-pepperoni for them both, and two cans of coke. The dinner rush was starting, so they grabbed a table outside under a patio umbrella. 

Jon asked Dany all about school. He seemed genuinely interested. He _was_ genuinely interested. He listened while Dany told him all about her annoying roommate, and about her boring classes and frustrating teachers. She told him about her upcoming birthday and how Resident Services gave giant cupcakes to students on their birthdays. Dany had requested a cookies and cream cupcake.

“At least I didn't have to finish that speech in Hightower's class,” Dany mused with a smile. 

Jon chuckled with a closed mouth as he chewed on a bite of pizza. Dany was mesmerized by how Jon ate. He would take great big bites like he was a starving animal. Anyone else and Dany may have found the sight unpleasant, but Dany felt the opposite about Jon. She found the way his jaw moved intoxicating. She wanted him to use his jaw to eat her up instead. 

When the topic of conversation switched to Jon, he wasn't so eager to give up any details, just small fragments here and there that only opened up more questions for Dany. “Home sucks as always,” he said. “Now that I've got the car, I drive around a lot. It's good to be out of the house.”

“Why does it suck?” Dany asked, noticing how Jon had suddenly stopped eating. 

“It's fine,” he retracted unconvincingly. “It's not so bad. It could be worse. It's just my step-mom. She's frustrating. But, I don't have to tell you about shitty parents. I can't believe yours sent you away.”

Dany's chest deflated. “I know.”

“At least they can't hurt you here.”

Dany's expression turned confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, your dad seems like a total prick,” Jon answered gruffly before quickly apologizing for his language. 

Dany smiled. “No, it's okay. He is a prick.” It felt nice to commiserate with someone who seemed to _get it._ “He's not a bad person, though. He just wants me focused on school.” Her words rang hollow, though. _Good people don't abandon their children, do they? Not unless their children are bad. . ._

“My step-mom just wants to get rid of me,” Jon mumbled glumly. 

Dany's lips parted. She knew she should say something kind, something soothing, but any attempts never made it up her throat. Get rid of him? Was that was Dany's father was trying to do with her? Get rid of her?

Silence enveloped them for a solemn minute. 

“Did you really come all this way just to see me?” Dany finally asked once she remembered how to speak. They didn't have the luxury of prolonged silences. They had just over an hour before Dany would have to be back at Maidenpool, and she just realized there were so many questions she still needed answers to. 

“Yes,” Jon replied. He turned to face Dany, straddling the bench they both sat upon. He had his elbow on the table, resting the side of his head in his palm. With his other hand, he brushed a lock of Dany's hair behind her shoulder. 

She was just as beautiful as Jon remembered. Even more so actually, because she was sitting here in the flesh, smiling her sweet smiles at him in person. It felt as if no time had past at all. It felt like the night they kissed was just yesterday, and today was the day Jon would ask her out on a real date, maybe even confess to her the crush he had on her. 

“Why did you wait so long?” Dany quietly asked. “When you didn't try to see me after. . . I thought maybe you weren't really into me.”

“I did come to see you. It just took me a little while to muster up the courage to knock on your door, and by then you were already gone.”

“You talked to my parents?”

“Your dad. Long enough for him to tell me he shipped you off someplace. He wouldn't tell me where. I had to figure that out on my own.”

Dany's eyes widened. “You tracked me down?”

“Yeah, like fuckin' Nancy Drew. I called every boarding school in the state until I found you.”

Dany's heart leaped. “How? Why?”

“Well, I told them I worked at Harvard admissions, and I was trying to verify that you were a student for our records,” Jon explained. “Why? Because I wanted to see you.”

“No one has ever done anything like that for me.”

Jon glided the back of his index finger down the length of Dany's arm before reaching her hand. He hooked his finger around her little one and drew her hand off her lap. He laced his fingers with hers in the space between them. “Graduation is coming up, and I'm planning on getting out of the city. I think I'll take a gap year, traveling the country. Seeing what's out there before I dive right back into academia for who knows how long. I was worried if I didn't find you before I leave, I'd never see you again.”

“Oh,” Dany breathed, not sure what to make of Jon's plans. Did that mean he would be MIA for an entire year? Did that mean today was the only day Dany would have with him ever again?

“So, you told me about your roommate, your schedule, and your teachers, but you haven't told me if you're seeing anyone.”

Dany gulped. Suddenly the elation of being with Jon again morphed into a nervous tension that originated between her legs. “Well, it's an all-girls school so. . .”

Jon shrugged. “It's 2009. People can love who they want, right? Unless you're getting it on with a teacher. I'll have to get my baseball bat.”

Dany laughed, cheeks turning pink. “I'm not seeing anyone. Are you?”

“No. I am sort of hung up on someone, though.”

Dany almost didn't hear him over the rapid thump of her heart against her chest bone. “Oh?”

Jon gave Dany's hand a squeeze. “You should come with me.”

“What?”

“After graduation. I know you're probably going to Harvard or some other smartypants school in the Fall, but you could spend the Summer with me.”

_Thump. Thump. Thump._ If a stab victim had run up to Dany right then, begging her to call an ambulance, she didn't think she would even hear them. All that existed in that moment was her, Jon, and her incessant heart beating a hole in her chest. 

“It'll be awesome,” Jon said. “We'll drive around hitting all the best music festivals. We'll go hiking in Yosemite. Fuck, we'll go all the way to Yellowstone. You want to see the Grand Canyon? I don't have a lot of money, but I've saved up some. It'll be rough, but that's half the fun, ya know? Do you like camping?”

Camping? Dany would live in a hollowed out canoe in open water during a hurricane if only she could be with Jon. But. . .

“I can't,” she spoke, the words like a knife through her own heart. 

“Well, we don't have to camp.”

“I can't go,” she morosely reiterated. “My parents would never let me. They've got my whole Summer planned out. Tutoring, volunteering--”

“They can't control you anymore, Dany,” Jon argued. “Your not a kid anymore. You said your birthday is next week. You'll be eighteen. You can do whatever you want. What will they do? Call the police and say their adult daughter ran away from home?”

Dany looked down at her lap, her free hand twisting the fabric of her skirt in her fingers. All the happy emotions left her, being replaced by a deep sadness. 

Jon saw this shift and scooted closer to her, his knee touching hers. He held onto her hand with both of his and softly said, “It's okay. If you don't want to go, it's fine. I won't be offended or mad or anything. I just thought it would be nice. Maybe it was silly of me. I mean, we barely know each other.”

“I do want to go,” Dany quietly insisted. 

“Then come with me.” Jon raised a hand to her cheek and brought her gaze to him. “I know it's scary, defying your parents, especially your dad. But you have to do it sometime. You have to live your life sometime. Live it with me. Just for the Summer. I promise, I will personally drop you off at the gates of the Ivy Leagues come Fall semester.”

Dany smiled at the notion, but there was no joy behind her eyes. “I can't,” she repeated. 

“Why not?” Jon asked, the sadness mirrored in his own gaze. “And don't say it's because of your parents.”

Her eyes misted with fear more than anything else. “There's something you don't know about me.”

“That's okay,” he insisted. “There's lots of things you don't know about me. That's what the Summer can be for. Getting to know each other.”

Before Dany could psyche herself out of telling Jon the truth, she blurted it out. “I'm not turning eighteen next week.”

Jon's expression twinged with confusion, not expecting that to her her confession. “What?”

“I'm turning sixteen,” Dany admitted, then immediately sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. 

Eyebrows furrowing, Jon leaned back, mulling the statement over and finding it utterly unbelievable. “You're fifteen?”

She nodded. 

“No,” he stated, shaking his head. “That doesn't make sense. You're a Senior. You're graduating next month.”

Dany meekly explained, “While I was homeschooled, I skipped first grade, and then I also skipped sixth grade, so when I started at Harrenhal, I was twelve.” 

These words sucked all the air out of Jon's lungs. He turned, swinging his leg back over the bench so he could face the table. His hand released Dany's, going instead to rub at his cheek like he'd just been slapped. “Wow,” he breathed. “You are. . . really fucking smart.”

Dany was near tears. She brought her discarded hand into her lap, ringing both together. Her leg shook from her nerves. Jon had drove four hours in a jalopy truck with a broken taillight just to eat pizza with her, and now he hated her. 

“I didn't know that you were fifteen,” he said. “I didn't know that, right? You didn't tell me that, did you?”

“No,” Dany murmured. “I didn't want anyone to know. I didn't want anyone to think I was freak.” The way Jon looked at her then. . . Dany knew everything was shattered, broken into a million pieces. “I'm sorry, Jon.”

“No,” he shook his head. “It's okay. I just. . . I didn't know.” 

Jon stood then and went about cleaning up the table. Dany watched him toss the pizza box in the black garbage can and the empty Coke cans in the blue recycle can. When he got back to the table, he didn't sit. “I should get you back.”

“It's only six,” Dany protested.

“Yeah, but I've got a long drive ahead. I should probably just take you back now.”

The trip back to Jon's truck felt like it lasted a hundred years. Jon walked ahead of Dany, like she wasn't even there. When he opened the passenger door for her, Dany stood still on the curb, hands still ringing together in front of her. This was when she was supposed to say something profound and romantic like in the movies. She was supposed to tell him something that would make him kiss her instead of leave her. But what could she say? The only thing preventing them from being together was something she couldn't change.

“Dany?” 

She wouldn't move. Her feet wouldn't let her. She may not have had any control over her age or what she did over the Summer, but she still had control over her feet, and they would not allow her to spend the next five minutes in Jon's car while he stared silently at the road, wishing he had never bothered to come see her. 

But where Dany saw contempt upon Jon's face, in reality, he was heartbroken watching her. She looked miserable, and Jon wanted nothing more than to pick her up into his arms and kiss away all the bad feelings she's ever had. He wanted to give her what her parents never could: someone to lean on, someone to cherish her and make her smile when she was having a bad day. He wanted to be the person who was always there for her, no matter what. But it didn't feel right now. Especially not now that he was a legal adult. He still wanted her in all the same ways he wanted her twenty minutes ago, but there was something off about it now, something wrong, something that made Jon feel like he had done something wrong, that he had hurt Dany, and he never ever wanted to hurt Dany. 

“Dany?” he tried again.

“I think I'd rather walk,” Dany finally said. 

Jon sighed, shutting the passenger door. “I'll walk with you then.”

“No. I want to walk by myself.”

Jon stepped up to her, hands dug into his pockets. “I'm not going to leave you here alone.”

“I'm not a child,” she stated firmly. “I walk this way by myself all the time.”

“Okay.”

And just like that, Jon gave Dany what she wanted, and it broke Dany's heart. 

“Can I give you a hug?” Jon asked. 

After a few moments, Dany nodded. Jon stepped up onto the curb and wrapped his arms around Dany's waist, hugging her flush. Dany circled her arms around his neck and held on tight, burying her nose against his shoulder and inhaling his scent. She never wanted to let go. _Please, don't let go._

But he did. He had to. “You're going to do amazing things, Daisy,” Jon told her, offering her one last little smile before he climbed into his truck and took off. 

Dany cried the whole way back to Maidenpool. 

* * * * *

**MAY, 2014**

To think it was nearly five years to the day since Jon had left Dany standing on that curb outside a mediocre pizza joint in Nowheresville, Central California. She was twenty now, almost twenty-one, and yet Jon couldn't pull the trigger. It was guilt maybe, over having felt so passionately for her when she wasn't ready for him, or maybe he was just afraid that Dany would choose Ramsay over him. The guy was bad news, Jon was sure of it, but Dany needed someone who would never leave her, who would stay by her side no matter what, and maybe she believed Ramsay was the guy to give that to her. Surely she no longer believed Jon capable of sticking around, not after what he had done to her. 

He sought refuge from his sorrow in Brick's. Ygritte had vacated their table, but Jon found her in the pool room, dismissing the flirtations of a couple tipsy frat bros. Ygritte never did like arrogant meatheads. Jon decided he could rescue one person tonight, even if it wasn't the person who maybe actually needed it. He swooped in and put his arm around Ygritte, telling the young men to shove off. 

“My hero,” Ygritte sighed, pressing the back of her wrist to her forehead like she were a delicate princess about to faint from so much chivalry. 

Jon rolled his eyes and released her. 

“Since you obviously chickened out,” Ygritte began, “let's play a round.”

“I didn't chicken out,” Jon lied as he helped Ygritte set up the table. “She has a boyfriend.”

“Spare me.”

“Alright, miss perceptive. What could you possibly have picked up during that extremely awkward ten minute interaction?” 

Ygritte squared up the pool balls along the green felt, then took a sip from her rum and Coke. Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling as she sipped, mulling around in her mind all that her natural intuitions have gathered based on her knowledge of Jon, the story of him and Dany, as well as her experience meeting Dany just tonight. When she had her thoughts gathered, Ygritte set her drink down on the edge of the pool table and perched herself up beside it. 

Confidently, Ygritte began her analysis. “Well, what I know about you is that you're the product of an affair your dad had with your mom, your step-mom constantly punished you for that throughout your whole childhood, and your dad never stopped her.”

Jon pressed his back to the wall, folding his arms over himself, not really enjoying where this conversation was heading. Clearly he had divulged too many personal details to Ygritte between cocktails on solemn nights such as this one. 

“Because of that, you became a people-pleasure at a very young age. It probably started as a coping mechanism. You would read the body language of your step-mom or your step-siblings, analyze every sigh or groan or eyeroll, and make a mental note to never do whatever it was you were doing at the time ever again, just to avoid the possibility of disappointing anyone with your presence--”

Jon frowned, suddenly remembering Ygritte was a psychology grad student. 

“But they were still disappointed. At least, your step-mom always was. Eventually, you learned to mimic the behavior of likable people so well that you genuinely became a likable person. It wasn't a coping mechanism anymore. It was who you were. That would be the _nurture_ aspect of _nature via nurture,_ which is--”

“I know what it is,” Jon muttered contemplatively, hating how accurate this all sounded. 

“Let me guess. . . You were popular in high school? Maybe even middle school, too?”

Jon didn't have to reply. His silence gave away the truth. Jon hadn't much in the way of friends throughout Elementary school, but in Middle school he found a small group of boys who enjoyed his company, and it spiraled from there until Jon was on first name basis with nearly everyone at the school. High school was more of the same.

Continuing her assessment, Ygritte said, “You were popular, and you didn't even have to try. People just liked you. You have this aura about you that is charming, but also comforting. I'm sure it helped that you were probably very attractive. I'm sure you couldn't make it down one hallway without at least five people shouting out your name. You always had people to sit with at lunch, or to partner with during class activities. You'd get invites to parties on the weekends, and girls and boys alike all wanted to have your number. The problem was. . . no one really _cared_ about you. Sure, they wanted to know you to the extent that everyone wants to know the cool guy. But they didn't need you. You had so many friends, but you never had one best friend. 

“But. . . then came Dany. Poor, friendless, Dany--”

“Don't say it like that,” Jon chided. 

Ygritte cracked a small smirk. “Finally, someone needed you. You swooped into her life at one of her lowest moments and literally picked her up off the floor. You gave her your gum. You gave her your sweater. You told her she was pretty, and then you asked her to hang out with you alone. She needed you, and you found that _intoxicating._ ”

Jon heaved a sigh, eyes downcast at the beer-stained carpet. He had felt it in the moment, that Dany needed him, and it was indeed intoxicating. But it had never fully processed in his mind just how pivotal that moment was, not just in his feelings for Dany, but in his feelings about himself and what _he_ needed.

“But then. . .” Ygritte continued, “you broke her heart. You made her need you. Even worse, you made her believe it was okay to need you. And then you abandoned her, just like her parents did. I didn't realize just how bad it was until I saw the way she looked at you, like she was still standing on that curb, watching you leave.”

Jon's lips parted, wanting to protest, but his mind was in too much of a flurry to conjure the words to do so. 

“She isn't going to let herself need you again until you prove to her she can trust you.”

Jon shut his eyes, breathing in Ygritte's conclusion. “I don't know if she should trust me.” When his eyes opened, Ygritte offered him a shrug. 

She hopped from the pool table, took another sip of her drink, then replied, “Then cut her loose.”

“What?” Jon's brows furrowed, not expecting this turn. 

“Cut her loose,” she repeated. “Dany is a special breed of human--”

“A special _breed?_ She isn't a dog.”

“She's damaged.”

“No she isn't.” Jon was growing frustrated now. 

“Jon, most people are damaged, and sometimes that damage manifests its way deep into our foundational core. I'm damaged, you're damaged, Dany is damaged, her creepy boyfriend is probably creepy because he's damaged--”

“So you agree that he's creepy?”

“Jon.” Ygritte took hold of Jon's shoulder and stared deeply into his eyes. “I like you. I like hanging out with you. I like hooking up with you. But, I don't need you. I'll probably never need you. I'll probably never need anyone. That's my damage. I will never trust anyone, and I will be content for the rest of my life to live on my own, and for myself. So this--” She waved her hand through the air between their chests-- “is never going to be anything more than what it is right now. But, you and Dany. . . Well, you two might be perfect for one another.”

She released his shoulders and grabbed a cue from the stand along the wall. “It's going to take some time, though, and it's probably going to get real weird, but hey. . . different strokes for different folks, right? Just, be sure to have a safe word.”

Jon flinched at Ygritte's insinuation. He had a pretty good idea of what Ygritte was talking about, but it frankly was not true. Yes, he would concede that he enjoyed the thought of taking care of Dany, but it was only to protect her, and to make sure she was living her best life. He didn't want to control her. He didn't want to own her. He didn't want to be one of those guys who got off on inflicting pain on his partner. But before Jon could argue, his phone buzzed in his pocket, multiple buzzes, signaling a phone call. 

As soon as Jon saw the name “Daisy” on his screen, Jon hurried into the corridor which lead to Bricks's back entrance and answered the call. 

“Hey,” Jon immediately said into the phone. “Are you okay?”

Dany's voice sang heavenly through the small speaker. “Ashley Simpson is one of the most underappreciated pop artists of the two-thousands. She got way too much undeserved criticism that I honestly find a bit misogynistic, and her song _Pieces of Me_ was, and still is, a fucking smash.”

Jon snorted a laugh, turning to press his forehead against the corridor wall, shutting out anyone and everything else about the world to just focus on Dany. “I believe you. Are you home?”

“Yeah.”

“Alone?”

“Other than my roommate, yeah.”

“Good.”

They lulled into silence, a few moments long. It wasn't awkward, though. Jon enjoyed hearing Dany's soft breaths through the speaker. 

“Where are you?” Dany soon asked. 

“Still at the restaurant. Playing some pool.” Another few moments past. “Dany, I'm really sorry about what happened five years ago. I just. . . I got spooked, and I freaked out a little bit. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“It's okay,” Dany whispered. Was she in bed? Was she tucked under her blankets in a t-shirt and nothing else? Were the lights off? “I mean, I was really hurt at the time, but I understand why you reacted the way you did.”

Jon smiled softly, a wave a relief cleansing his soul. He had been wrong. Ygritte had been wrong. Dany wasn't still standing on that curb. She was safe at her apartment, possibly tucked into bed, whispering sweetly into Jon's ear from afar. 

“Jon?”

“Hm?” He had been silent for a short while. 

“Could we meet up again, just the two of us, and actually catch up this time?”

His smile widened. “Yeah. I'd like that.”

After Jon bid Dany goodnight, he went back to the pool room, but only to bid Ygritte a goodnight as well. 

“Where are you going?” Ygritte asked, visibly peeved that she would have to find someone else to shoot pool with. 

“I'm heading home,” Jon said with a wink, “since you don't need me.”


	4. Chapter 4

**SEPTEMBER, 2019**

The time in the far right corner of Dany's computer monitor turned to 7:00PM, and her fingers halted mid sentence. Her mind was sucked away from her work for the hundredth time that day. Seven o'clock already? It was normal for Dany to work this late, but what could Jon possibly still be doing so late into the evening? Or. . . was he waiting Dany out? Was it not bad enough that she had, only hours ago, admitted to the one thing that she promised she would never speak of again? 

Fine. If he was waiting her out, Dany would play along. She wasn't going to let him back out. She wasn't going to let herself back out. 

Dany closed up her office, tidying her desktop, shutting down her computer, gathering her things, and turning out the light. Jon's door was wide open, light on. She needed not to say a single word. As soon as Dany appeared in the doorway, Jon looked to her and smiled. 

“Ready?” he asked. 

Hand gripping the metal door frame, Dany nodded. 

“Okay. I'll follow you.”

They took the elevator together and walked through the parking structure together. Jon didn't try to touch Dany. In fact, they walked in silence. Dany thought it was another game, that he wasn't trying to calm her nerves, that he ignored the way she chewed on her nails as she searched the lot for her Camry. 

But Jon wasn't ignoring any of those things, rather he studied them. She was still an anxious person, and that would probably never change, but Jon wanted to find out for sure if Dany was ready for this, if she was ready to have what they both needed so badly. He didn't want to push her. He wanted to give her as many opportunities to back out as possible before they finally gave themselves a fighting chance. 

When Dany was safe in her car, Jon went to his own. The drive wasn't long, but any amount of time without Dany beside him was too much for Jon. His cock was swollen beyond belief with the anticipation of what all Jon had planned for tonight, what he had been planning since discovering Dany was single. He found a parking spot along the street in front of Dany's apartment building and took a minute to relax himself. 

_Behave,_ he told himself. If Jon could not control himself tonight, what happened last time would happen again tonight, and that wasn't an option. Dany would freak out again. She would run again. And Jon couldn't wait another five year to try this all over again. _Deep breaths,_ he told himself. _Control yourself. Give her what she needs, and only what she needs._

As soon as Dany was in her apartment, she sent Jon a text with her unit number and the five-digit building code. She stood silently, five feet from the door, staring at it and focused on her breathing. _Deep breaths,_ she told herself. _Jon knows what to do._

A soft knocking at the door made Dany jump. She waited a few moments, then opened it. 

“Hi,” she breathed. 

“Hi,” he replied. 

Jon looked different in the soft light of Dany's apartment, less intimidating but more beautiful, which only added a different layer of intimidating onto it all. After closing the front door, Dany quickly moved into the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked, opening her wine cabinet. 

“No,” Jon replied, following her. 

As Dany pulled a wine bottle from the cabinet, Jon closed his hand over the bottle and removed it from Dany's. He promptly put it back into the cabinet and shut the door. “No alcohol.”

Dany blinked at him. “It won't be like last time. I just. . . Unless I drink something beforehand, I'm too nervous to do anything.”

“No alcohol,” Jon repeated, his tone resolved, but his voice gentle. 

After a moment, Dany nodded, accepting this term. 

“If we're going to do this--”

_If._ Dany frowned at the word. Her panties have been uncomfortably wet all day. This could not be an _if_ scenario. This needed to be a _now_ scenario. Jon said he could give her what she needed, and this was what she needed. 

“--there are going to be rules,” Jon continued. “We might not need to get into all of them tonight, but we will eventually.”

_Eventually._ What a sweet word. It implies this will happen again, whatever this was. Dany's frown turned into a tentative smile. 

“The first rule, though, is that I will not do anything sexual with you while you're intoxicated. I don't care if it's half a glass of wine or one puff of a joint--”

“I don't do drugs,” Dany interrupted. 

“Good.” Jon stepped forward, raised his hand behind Dany's head, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Dany sighed contentedly, leaning into the tender touch. “But, rule number two is: no talking unless I tell you to.”

Dany's brows furrowed nervously, but her pussy pulsed from Jon's words. She nodded, agreeing to both rules. 

“From this point forward, and for the rest of the night until we're finished, you're only allowed to speak when I prompt you to, okay?”

Dany gulped, but nodded quickly. 

Jon leaned close, lips brushing her cheek. “But you're allowed to moan. I'm dying to hear you moan, Daisy.”

A shuddered breath escaped Dany's lips. She raised her hand to his neck, wanting to pull him flush, but Jon captured her wrist in his own hand and removed it. “Soon,” he assured. “I need to ask you some questions first. They're simple questions. Most will be yes or no. But, let's do that your bedroom, okay?”

Dany nodded once more. They stood there in silence together for almost a full minute before Dany realized that Jon didn't know where her bedroom was. She snapped into action, moving toward the hallway with Jon following close behind. 

Just as Jon had done when he was seventeen, he took a minute to analyze Dany's bedroom, taking in the size and the décor, the cleanliness and the gentle scent of a vanilla oil diffuser. It wasn't as girly as her childhood bedroom had been, but it was still quite feminine with mass-produced paintings of pink and lavender flowers mounted on her cream colored walls. The sheets upon her queen-size bed were lavender, too, but her duvet was a soft gray. There was a mauve sofa pressed underneath a picture window, and from that window hung curtains that matched her duvet. While other people may have used a bedroom sofa to drape clothes on top of, or toss unfinished books upon, Dany's sofa was free of any clutter. 

“You're still a very tidy girl,” Jon said. 

“A woman comes by every few days to--” Dany quickly steeled her lips, realizing Jon had not asked her to speak. 

Jon smiled in response. He came to her, took her face gently in his palms, and pressed another kiss to her forehead. “It's okay,” he said. “This'll take time.”

Dropping his hands from Dany's face, Jon took both her hands instead and positioned her just before the foot of the bed. “Sit down,” he said. 

Dany lowered her bottom to the mattress, sinking slightly into the softness of her comforter. She pressed her knees together, thighs clenching and unclenching with nerves and lust as Jon knelt down on one knee before her. He picked up one foot and slid off Dany's heel, setting it down on the floor. He picked up her other foot and did the same until Dany was digging her bare toes into the area rug, unable to reach her heels down to the floor. She thought Jon would continue to undress her, but instead, he stood and took a step back. 

Dany then watched Jon unbuckle his belt and pull it from the loops. He tossed it onto Dany's uncluttered sofa, then toed out of his own shoes. He loosened his black tie a bit, but did not remove it. 

“Take off your blouse,” Jon instructed. 

The way he spoke made Dany feel like this was all brand new, like Jon had never seen her breasts before, like no man had ever seen her breasts before. She tugged her blouse from her pencil skirt and unfastened the buttons slowly. When her body was free of the fabric, Dany knew exactly what Jon would say next. 

“Your bra now.”

Dany wet her lips and tucked her hands behind her back, unfastening the clasp. It was like deja vu, but Dany was determined to be less nervous this time. She was an adult now, twenty-six, and she knew what she wanted. Deep down, she knew, and Jon knew, too. It was time that she allowed herself to finally accept that this was who she was. 

But instincts were instincts, and Dany couldn't stop her arms from trying to conceal her breasts from Jon's gaze. Oh how she longed for him to stare upon her naked flesh, but she was still so fearful of being vulnerable. Even with Jon. Especially with Jon. 

Jon responded as he did all those years ago. He stepped forward, took Dany's wrists into his hands, and opened up her arms. This time, he planted Dany's palms flat on the bed, on either side of her hips. “Keep them there,” Jon said, voice so low and soft, Dany nearly moaned in pleasure just from the sound. 

Chest heaving, Dany nodded. 

Jon released her wrists and stepped back once more. His eyes roamed her torso, taking a mental note of how her legs quivered. She was wet already, Jon could tell. He longed to discover just how wet she was, but that would come later. He couldn't move too quickly. He had a plan, and everything needed to follow that plan. But fucking hell, her tits were incredible, and Jon's cock loved the sight just as much as his eyes. He reached down and adjusted himself in front of Dany's gaze. That wasn't part of the plan, but a necessary pivot. 

When he was settled, Jon said, “I'm going to ask you these questions now. I need you to be completely honest with me, no matter what the answer is. I will never judge you, okay?”

She nodded. 

“How many men have you been with sexually?” Jon asked. 

She gulped. “Four, including you.”

“Women?”

She shook her head. 

“How many men have fucked you?”

Dany took a few breaths. “Three, including you.”

Jon stepped forward and lifted his hand to the side of Dany's head, stroking her hair slowly to sooth away her tension. Dany leaned into his hand, sighing contentedly. “You're a good girl. Don't ever forget that.”

It wasn't a question, but Dany nodded anyway, and a nod wasn't against the rules. 

Jon continued to stroke her hair while he asked the next few questions. “Have any of them been inside your mouth?”

“Two,” she answered quietly. 

“What about your ass?”

Dany's eyes widened, and she soon shook her head.

“How many have tasted your pussy?”

Dany sucked in a breath. She had never heard Jon speak that word before while they were sober. _Pussy._ Her fingers dug into her comforter. She shook her head. 

A sigh of disappointment left Jon's throat, and Dany looked up to see he was shaking his head. “That's no good, Daisy. We'll have to do that soon.”

He wanted to do it now. He wanted to drop to his knees, pull her thighs apart and devour her. But that wasn't in the plan for tonight, and if Dany had never experienced being eaten out before, Jon would have to ease into that. 

“What is the most amount of times you've orgasmed in one night?” Jon asked. 

Dany wet her lips again. “Three, I think.”

“Alone, or with someone?”

“Alone.”

Another sigh of disappointment, but he never stopped stroking her hair. “No one has been taking care of you, have they?”

Dany's heart skipped a beat, her body leaning forward an inch on reflex, just dying to be against Jon again. “No,” she replied in a whimper. _No one since you._

“I'm going to take care of you,” Jon assured. “I promise, Dany. I know what you need now, and I know how to give it to you. I will never get carried away again. I will never hurt you again--”

_You never hurt me,_ Dany wanted to say, but that would be breaking the rules

“There will be pain sometimes, though,” Jon continued. “But I will never give you anything you don't need. Just in case, we need to have a safe word. Something special that will immediately pull me out of my concentration. What do you think?”

The corners of Dany's mouth lifted, and her cheeks pinked. “Ashley Simpson sucks.”

Jon quietly chuckled. “Why would you ever say something so false?”

“That's how you'll know something is wrong.”

“Alright. It's a bit long, but it's obviously memorable, which is the most important thing.” He cupped her face and held her gaze. “This is really important, Dany. If at any time, for whatever reason, you need me to stop, says _Ashley Simpson sucks,_ and I will immediately stop. If you say something else, I might not stop. Do you understand?” 

Dany nodded, and when Jon's lips came to press against hers ever so lightly, her eyes fluttered, and a soft moan escaped her throat. 

“Just a few more questions,” he said, trailing the back of his fingers down Dany's hair until he connected with her shoulder. His hand kept going, gliding along Dany's flesh and the slope of her breast, just barely grazing her pebbled nipple. Dany arched her back against his touch, but Jon pulled his fingers away, denying her any added pressure to her sensitive flesh. 

“Are you on birth control?”

The question went straight to Dany's pussy. Was he going to fuck her? Would he come inside her? “Yes,” she breathed. “I've got an IUD.”

“Good. What about condoms? Were you always using condoms with this guy you were fucking?”

Dany whimpered. She didn't want to talk about Daario. She wanted to pretend he never happened, that he never existed. Only Jon existed now. “Yes,” she answered. 

“Every time?” he pressed. “I won't be mad if you slipped up, but I need to know.”

“I promise,” Dany replied. Daario had been paranoid about always using condoms, something that benefited Dany but also slightly offended her. 

“Even blowjobs?”

Dany's expression twisted with uncertainty, not wanting to admit she had taken Daario into her mouth. 

“It's okay,” Jon said, reaching out to caress Dany's areola with the back of his index finger. He slowly massaged the nipple with his thumb, making Dany moan softly. “We'll get tested together.”

Dany nodded, enjoying the sound of doing something special like that with Jon, but she especially enjoyed the sensations he was creating with his simple ministrations on her tender breast. 

“I need to tell you rule three now,” Jon said, holding her nipple between finger and thumb as if to pinch the hard nub, but he only gave enough pressure to give Dany comfort without any pain. “You are not to be with anyone else. If we're going to do this--”

There was that word again. _If._ If Jon said _if_ one more time, Dany was going to throw a fit. 

“--it's got to be you and me. That's it. You can't fuck anyone else. You can't date anyone else. Do you understand?”

Dany looked down at her lap. “Yes, but. . .”

“But?”

She looked up. “Does, like, chatting count?”

A dark eyebrow raised over a curious eye. “Chatting? You mean sexting?”

“Well, I'm almost always too nervous to be with people in real life, so. . .”

Jon looked dismayed. “Do you send these people pictures?”

“Sometimes, but never my face.”

Jon released another sigh of disappointment, but this one felt more personal to Dany. 

“I'm sorry,” she quickly said.

Jon released her nipple to stoke her cheek. “I'm not mad at you. I just want you to be safe. I don't like you sexting with strangers online and sending them pictures of your beautiful body.”

“I never give them my real name”

“What name do you give them?”

A twinge of guilt panged in Dany's gut. She had been hoping Jon wouldn't ask that. Nervously, she answered, “Daisy.”

Jon frowned as a reflex, but quickly altered his expression when he realized how hard it was for Dany to admit that. She was admitting a lot to him tonight, and she needed to be rewarded for that, not punished. “It's okay,” he said, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips to remind her she was still a good girl. “That was then. This is now. I'm here now, and I'm going to give you what you need, so you don't need to talk to those people anymore. Okay?”

She nodded, eyes staring warmly into his. She longed for another kiss. She wanted twenty. No, a hundred. She would do anything for them. 

“You're my Daisy now,” Jon murmured before gifting her another small kiss. 

“Do you promise?” Dany breathed against his mouth. When she realized she had broken a rule, she quickly apologized. But Jon would let this one slide. Dany wasn't ready to be punished. That needed to come later. Apologies would suffice until then. 

“I promise.” Jon moved to press the third kiss to her cheek, then moved further to her ear and whispered, “I'm going to touch your pussy now.”

A frightful, hungry, lustful moan reverberated through Dany's throat. 

“Open your legs,” Jon whispered, his hand trailing down from Dany's face to the space of skin on her thigh just below her skirt. 

Dany pried her thighs apart a few inches, feeling the chill of the air on her hot, moist skin. As soon as Jon slid his hand up her inner thigh and under the hem of her skirt, Dany's breathing grew erratic, her breasts undulating softly while her chest heaved. 

Hand stopping just before Dany's crotch, Jon whispered, “Wider.”

Dany swallowed hard, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced her knees farther apart. A moment later, she felt Jon's hand upon her sex, fingers gently rubbing her through the thin cotton of her panties. 

“Fuck,” Jon breathed. “You are so unbelievably wet, baby.”

Indeed, Dany could hear her wetness as Jon's fingers caressed her outer folds. She fisted the duvet in her hands and ran her tongue across her bottom lip. And then Jon's middle finger pressed against the cotton, finding her swollen clitoris. Dany squeaked, moving her hips in little pulses back and forth while Jon rubbed her. 

Jon breathed heavily in Dany's ear as he brought her to orgasm with just the pad of his finger caressing her clit through damp cotton. Hearing the sounds Dany made caused his cock to ache. Never had Jon been so cruel to himself while gifting himself everything his heart desired. His ability to restrain himself only enhanced the experience, and when Dany started gasping and wriggling in ecstasy, Jon had to shut his eyes and focus on his deep breathing less he come in his slacks. He stroked her endlessly in time with his heartbeat. 

But when Dany thought she couldn't possibly survive any more stimulation, she was unable to stop herself from slapping her hand over Jon's and squeezing tight, ceasing his ministrations. Her other hand gripped Jon's shirt while her forehead pressed against his chest. She whimpered, shoulders quivering. 

_Finally,_ she thought. It felt as though she hadn't come in a hundred years, but really it was that no one had _made_ her come. Not since Jon did more than four years ago, and not again until now. She wouldn't run away this time. She wouldn't be afraid. Jon was going to take care of her, and she was going to let him. 

“I told you to keep your hands where they were,” Jon whispered against her cheek. He wanted so badly to kiss her, to tell her how incredible she was, and how beautiful. But she had disobeyed him, and he couldn't let this continue without her understanding that that wasn't okay. 

Now relaxed enough to think clearly, Dany looked down at her lap, where her hand was still clamped over Jon's, holding it against her still pulsing sex. Slowly, she moved her hand away. She pried her other from Jon's shirt and placed them back where Jon had planted them. She raised her gaze to Jon's. 

“Rule number four, Dany,” he said. “Don't disobey me.”

She pouted nervously. “I'm sorry.”

Finally, Jon pressed a kiss to Dany's forehead. “It's okay. This is all new, but next time you disobey me, I'm going to have to punish you. Do you understand?”

Jon felt her pussy flex against his fingers. He knew Dany needed there to be consequences to her actions, but he wasn't sure just how connected her arousal was to the thought of suffering those consequences. He made a mental note of this reveal. 

Dany nodded, sucking her pouted bottom lip between her teeth. 

“And just so we're clear. We'll make rule five be that you're not allowed to try and stop me. You know the safe word and when you should use it. Any other impulses need to be controlled. If you can't control them, I'll control them for you.”

After Dany nodded, Jon stepped back, removing his hand from her sex. He pulled a tissue from his pocket and cleaned the wetness from his fingers. “Lie on your back. Head on the pillow. Arms at your sides.”

Dany did just so, crawling up her bed and resting flat on her back, arms rested at her sides and legs straight. Dany's eyes watched Jon as his eyes watched her body. Slowly, Jon stepped around to the side of the bed, rolling up each sleeve to the elbows. He leaned over Dany, unzipped the side-zipper of her skirt and pulled the fabric down her legs. 

“I like your panties,” he told her with a little smile, eyes glued to her teal bikini underwear, the crotch wet with her juices. 

Dany's fingers danced against the duvet, her body shivering, nipples hard as rocks. 

“Are you cold?” he asked. 

She shook her head. 

Jon drew the tip of his finger down the center of Dany's chest, between her breasts and across her small belly, feeling the warmth of her skin. He circled her navel, then trailed his finger down her abdomen until it was hooked through the thin band of her panties. With two hands, Jon rid Dany of her last piece of clothing, leaving her lying before him, completely nude.

Bringing the teal cloth to his face, Jon breathed deeply the scent of Dany's fluids. He exhaled a moan. Never had Jon been so captivated by another's natural aroma. She was perfect, Jon decided. And she was finally his, as long as he maintained his control. 

"I'm proud of you," Jon told her, smiling warmly down at her, eyes connected with hers now.

Dany wasn't sure what she had done to make Jon proud, but she adored feeling like she had done something right. This was right, wasn't it? If Jon was accepting of it, then Dany could accept it, too.

His hand, the same hand to have just made her come, came to rest again on her thigh. "Open up for me, Daisy."

Staring longingly up at Jon, Dany complied, parting her legs until the open air caressed her inner folds. Jon slid his hand up until his fingers laced through the ivory patch of hair adoring her mound, just above her shaved lips.

"Is this how your pussy always looks?"

Dany pondered the question as her arousal grew. "When I think someone will see it."

"Is this how you like it?" he asked, tracing the triangle of hair that pointed down to her sex. "Do you feel sexiest when your pussy looks this way?"

Toes curling, Dany nodded.

"Good, because I think it's really fucking sexy." Jon climbed onto the bed and positioned himself on his knees between her legs. He lifted Dany's legs under the knees and parted them further, bringing her knees to graze either side of Dany's breasts.

Her blood temperature rose to great heights. Her hands clutched the duvet and her eyes focused on the ceiling, trying hard to even her breathing while Jon studied her lustful cunt.

Within her outer lips, were dewy petals of pink, and nestled between them was her opening, also pink, and pulsing rhythmically. Her little asshole pulsed as well, puckering and unpuckering in steady beats. At the crest of her labia was her clitoris, a slightly darker pink than the rest, a tiny engorged nub half-hidden by a thin hood. Dany squired under Jon's gaze. She was embarrassed and Jon knew she would be, but he needed her to know that he found every inch of her to be perfect.

Jon crawled over Dany, hovering above her with his hands on either side of her shoulders. His silk tie rested in the valley between her breasts. "You are so beautiful," he told her.

Dany looked at him like no one had ever told her that before. Jon pressed a kiss to her lips, a reward for not trying to shield her body from him. He kept kissing her. Soft and lingering. He kissed her as he moved a hand down between them, and just as his fingers returned to her clitoris, he licked the seam of her lips. Hips rolling against his fingers, Dany eagerly accepted Jon's tongue into her mouth.

Despite that fuck buddy she had to pacify her, Jon's Daisy had so clearly been deprived for too long. After only a minute of caressing her clit, she was already closing in on a second orgasm. It angered Jon that no one had cared enough about Dany to pleasure her the way she needed it done, but it pleased him all the same to be able to gift her that pleasure.

Dany moaned into Jon's mouth, struggling to keep kissing him while her body spasmed from another round of intense pleasure. Jon massaged her clit through her orgasm, and this time Dany kept her arms at her sides, riding the wave as far as Jon demanded. By the time he was steadying his hand, Dany was near tears from the intensity.

Keeping his hand pressed against her wetness, Jon kissed Dany's cheek, then the other, followed by the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. Her eyes fluttered open as she kissed him back. But Jon pulled away when Dany tried to slide her tongue past her parted lips.

She whimpered, casting a pleading gaze up at him.

Smiling, Jon laid down beside Dany, turned on his side to face her. He propped his head up with one hand, elbow dug into the pillow, and rested his other hand upon the center of Dany's chest, feeling her heartbeat slowly steady.

Dany relaxed her legs. She willed her whole body to relax, nearly succeeding. She turned her head to the side to try and gauge Jon's expression. With her eyes, she asked him what was to come. Surely he wasn't planning on making her come this way all night without reprieve of experiencing his cock inside her. Dany longed to feel Jon again, to feel the sensations he gave her the night of her twenty-first birthday.

Those sensations had frightened her then. She was still so easily frightened then, but not anymore. She was stronger now.

Dany turned onto her side, slid a palm behind Jon's neck, and kissed him hungrily. She pressed her body flush to his, feeling his incredible bulge dig against her thigh.

A low groan escaped Jon's throat at the presser to his desperate cock. _Control,_ Jon reminded himself. He griped Dany's hip and pushed her back, leaning away from her, a warning in his gaze.

"I didn't tell you you could do that," Jon said.

"Please, Jon," Dany begged. "You promised you would give me what I need, and I need you."

The words coursed through Jon like a rush of blood to his cock, as if he could get any more erect. _Control._ She was breaking the rules, and she knew she was breaking the rules. Did she truly need his cock, or did she need to be punished?

"You have me," Jon stated firmly. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Just because you don't have my dick, doesn't mean you don't have me."

Dany whimpered again with dissatisfaction. Her hand reached down to touch Jon's bulge, palm gliding over the contained erection.

Jon took her wrist and pried her from him. "Am I going to have to tie your hands behind your back?"

Gray eyes bore into blues. He wasn't joking. Dany felt a hint of fear, but even more lust. When Jon released her wrist, Dany slowly returned her palm to his crotch, staring into his eyes while she unfastened the button on his slacks. Just before she could slide her palm within the fabric, Jon took her wrist again.

Swiftly, Jon flipped Dany onto her stomach and tossed a leg over her to straddle her butt. This hadn't necessarily been part of the plan, but Jon knew it was a possibility. He pulled his tie from his neck and looped it around Dany's wrists until they were securely fastened together at the small of her back.

Leaning down, Jon issued a warning into Dany's ear. "Rule six. Don't ever beg me, Daisy. When you beg, you beg for what you want, not for what you need. And I'm not here to give you what you want. Understand?"

Cheek pressed into her pillow, Dany nodded. Jon then removed the pillow from under her so she wouldn't struggle to breathe while he gave her her third and final orgasm of the night.

After resuming his place beside her Jon caressed Dany's butt cheek under his palm. "After tonight, if you ever disobey one of the our rules, I'm going to spank you until I decide you've had enough. Understand?"

Grinding her thighs together, Dany nodded.

His palm curved lower, his fingers following her flesh until they felt her smooth puckered lips, slick with her come. "Open up," he murmured.

Dany parted her legs, but Jon quickly decided he wanted Dany in a more accessible position. He sat up and gently manipulated her body so that she was in the fetal position, face down with her knees together and tucked under her chest. Jon took his time to study her pussy and her ass from this new angle. He loved seeing Dany this way again, and from the dribble of fluid crawling from Dany's sex, Jon surmised she too enjoyed re-experiencing the exact position she was in when Jon fucked her for the first, and so far only, time.

Leaning down, Jon pressed his lips to one butt cheek, then the other. Oh how he wished to bury his face in her sex and finally taste her sweetness. _Control._

He traced a finger down her sealed outer lips, stroking the flesh in slow passes. With each pass, Jon applied a little more pressure, until finally his finger dipped between her folds to reunite with her slick labia and extra-sensitive clit. Dany gasped when Jon touched her clit. So much attention for the little nub, and in such a small span of time.

It wasn't just Dany herself who was Jon's now. Her clit was Jon's as well. And soon, her cunt would be his, too. Her ass would be his. Her mouth would be his. Her tits. Everything. Every inch of her would be his, and he was going to take such good care of her that Dany would never even dream of anyone else having what was Jon's.

"Are you mine?" Jon asked her, hoping she would answer correctly.

"Yes," she immediately breathed.

Jon rewarded her quickly by caressing even circles against her clit.

But Dany wasn't finished. And technically, it wasn't against the rules to answer a question in longer form, was it? "I've always been yours," she admitted, nearly panting against the mattress. "Ever since I was fifteen and you picked me up off the floor, and gave me your gum, and your sweater. Ever since the first time you kissed me."

Jon let her speak, captured by her words so thoroughly, yet they were not erotic to him. He massaged her clit through her speech, but Jon got no sexual gratification out of these admissions. It didn't turn him on to be reminded of how, if things had just been a bit different, they could have been together this whole time. It saddened him as much as it warmed his soul to hear that, even apart, Jon was always an important part of Dany's life.

"I've missed you so much," Dany said through a moan. "I've thought about you every day since that first kiss. Every day. You've always been what I needed. Always. You never hurt me. I was just scared that you thought different about me, or that things would be different between us. I didn't ever want to do what we did again, just as much as I still fantasize about doing it every night."

"Are you lying to me?" Jon asked.

"No!" she gasped as Jon picked up his speed, rubbing her clit in quick little movements. "I tried to find you before you moved away. But then I saw you at the coffee shop. And you were with a girl. A blonde girl. You kissed her. I was jealous. And sad. And scared. So I left."

Jon felt stomach sick. Her words hollowed him. He remembered the coffee shop, and he remembered well the blonde girl. Anger bubbled inside him. Angry that, had Dany run into him when he was alone, things would have been different. He could have explained to Dany that the blonde girl wasn't his girlfriend. They'd only been on a few dates at that point. Not exclusive. Not serious.

Why did it have to be like that? Was it karmic payback for when Jon left Dany in front of that pizza joint? They could have been together for the last four years, but Dany's anxiety just had to get in the way.

No. . . Jon stopped that thought process in its tracks. It wasn't Dany's fault. It just wasn't meant to be yet. They still hadn't figured out who they were and what they needed, and that they could only truly get what they needed from each other.

Dany came hard against Jon's hand, moaning and whimpering into the lavender sheet below, body shaking. Jon slowed his movements. Slower, slower, until he slipped his hand from her sex.

Caressing his palm up and down Dany's shivering spine, Jon gently asked, "How do you feel?"

"Good," she breathed.

"Be more specific."

She moaned softly. "Tired. Relaxed. Happy. Sexy. Sticky."

Jon smiled and leaned over her to press a kiss to the side of her head. "Good girl. You've been incredible. I'm going to stay with you tonight, okay?"

Eyes half-lidded, Dany nodded.

"I'm going to use the bathroom, and when I get back, I'll untie you, and we can cuddle."

Dany nodded again. She remained in her ball, sleepily sighing against the sheet as every muscle in her body turned to warm jelly.

In the bathroom across the hall, Jon jerked his cock into a wad of tissue, then washed his hands and face. As he stared at his reflection in the mirrored medicine cabinet, Jon was tempted to search through Dany's things to make sure she had what she needed, and wasn't using anything she shouldn't be. But that wasn't in the plan. Jon didn't want to be a snoop. Certainly, he would be going through Dany's things, but he'd do it when she was present. Any other way would feel intrusive.

He was pleased to find Dany exactly as he left her. After he undressed down to his boxer briefs, Jon turned out the lights and climbed into bed beside Dany. In the dark, he unfastened the tie around her wrists, then helped her crawl beneath the covers where she quickly curled against Jon's side, nuzzling his bare, solid chest. Jon wrapped her up in his arms and held her tight.

No words needed be spoken. They rested in silence save for their gentle breaths until they both fell into a dreamless sleep, finally feeling _whole._


	5. Chapter 5

**MAY, 2014**

The Java Bean was the least frequented coffee shop on the Berkeley campus, competing against everyone's favorite Starbucks, Peet's, and Phil's, and it was especially vacant on Sunday afternoons, which was precisely why Jon picked this location to meet Dany at. It would be a low-stress environment, and the chances of running into any creepy boyfriends was significantly reduced. Plus, all the best seats would be theirs for the picking. 

When Dany walked in, her eyes immediately fell to where Jon was seated at one end of a brown leather sofa, sipping hot coffee from a to-go cup. When Jon noticed her, she was already walking up to him. His face lit up with a smile, but Dany did not come to sit beside him. Not yet. She stood in front of him and gestured purposefully to herself, like she was showcasing her outfit. 

“Get a good look,” she said, “because this is how I normally am.”

Jon obeyed, sizing Dany up. Skinny jeans, white Converse, a scoop-neck tee and cardigan. Her hair was in an angled braid, rolling over one shoulder. She wasn't wearing much in the way of makeup, but she frankly didn't need any at all to look so pretty. “You look good,” he said. 

“Thank you,” she passively replied before gesturing once more to herself. “I mean, look at how calm I am. Look--” She held up her hands, palms facing the floor. “Not even the slightest tremble. I could perform an appendectomy on you right here and now with these hands.”

Jon cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”

Dany blushed. “Maybe. I do look calm, though, right?”

Jon hummed under his breath. “Turn around.”

After a moment to roll her eyes, Dany turned. 

“Ah, yes. That is a very calm back.”

With a chuckle, Dany turned back. “I just want you to see that I'm not some anxious little girl anymore. I am an independent, confident woman. The mock trial. . . That was a special circumstance. You know I hate public speaking--”

“I know.”

“--And the whole situation the other night?”

“That was a mistake,” Jon answered for her. “We should have just done it this way from the beginning.”

“Yes.” Dany smiled softly, content enough now to sit down beside Jon, leaving enough room between them to angle herself toward him without their knees touching. “I'm sorry, by the way. I hope we didn't ruin you and your girlfriend's night?”

“She isn't my girlfriend,” Jon corrected, though his heart pinched from the word _we._ He hated the idea of Dany being a _we_ with anyone but Jon. 

“Well, whatever you two are to each other. . . I hope we didn't ruin your night.”

“You didn't,” Jon insisted. 

They shared silence, simply looking at each other in the sunlight coming in from the Java Bean's big windows. Jon took another sip from his coffee, then realized-- “Do you want anything?” he asked quickly. “I'll get you something.”

He stood before Dany could respond, and she hastily requested a hot chocolate. Before she could get her wallet, Jon was moving to the counter to order. He returned a couple minutes later and handed Dany her drink. 

“I have money,” she told him. 

“That's okay.” Jon had money, too, after all. Though it was all in the way of student loans. He would worry about all that later. 

Silence again. Dany clutched her hot chocolate between her palms, enjoying the warmth, though the drink itself was still too hot to sip. 

“Are you cold?” Jon asked. “I can give you my jacket.”

Dany shook her head quickly. “No, no. I'm fine. Thanks, though.”

More silence. See. . . Ygirtte hadn't known what she was talking about. Dany didn't need Jon. She was calm, she had money, and she didn't need Jon to remove his leather jacket and drape it across her shoulders the way he so longed to do. 

“Your boyfriend is okay with you being here?” Jon asked.

Dany shook her head. “He's not my boyfriend anymore.”

Surprised, Jon asked what happened, and Dany explained that she realized after the other night that she didn't much like being around Ramsay anymore. “It was nice in the beginning,” she said. “I mean, really early in the beginning. He was just really confident, charming, chivalrous. . . but then he just turned into another C word.”

“I'm sorry.” So Ygritte had been right about one thing. Dany probably liked Jon in high school because of his confidence, his charm, and his chivalry. But that didn't mean Dany needed him. She simply had a type, and Jon fit that type. 

“It's okay. I mean, we were only together for a couple months.”

“Sometimes it doesn't matter how much time you're together. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to fall for someone,” Jon replied without thought of the connotation. Oh, his subconscious mind was trying to sabotage him. It pressed truths up his throat and past his lips before his rational mind could stop them. 

More silence. Jon cursed himself while he watched Dany take her first sip of her hot chocolate. Eyes trained on the lid of her cup, Dany asked, “Would you like to come out on Friday?”

Jon sat up a bit straighter. It almost sounded as if Dany was asking him out, but the careful phrasing of the question gave him pause. “Friday?”

“It's my birthday,” Dany explained, turning her gaze to meet his. “My twenty-first, so we're going to a bar that's supposed to be really cool.”

“We?”

“Me and my friend-slash-roommate, Missandei, and her boyfriend.”

Jon smiled. Missandei. He recognized that name. She was the other girl in the photo Dany had perched on her childhood desk. It all made sense now why Dany had come to Berkeley. This was where her best friend was. “Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding?”

Dany smiled like it was a ridiculous question. “Of course not. And even if you are, it's my birthday, and if I want you to intrude, that's my business.”

“Okay. Then, just text me when and where, and I'll be there.”

The ice having been broken, they spent the next two hours camped out on that sofa, talking about everything they had done and seen in their time apart. Jon told Dany about his Summer after high school, and about working for his uncle during his gap year. He told her about his decision to come to Berkeley – “I knew I wasn't ready to live full-time outside of California, but I did want to get away from Los Angeles for a bit, experience something new, maybe someplace where it's not so sunny all the time.” He told her about his major – Anthropology – and his interest in learning about other nations, cultures, and peoples. He told her about all the places he wanted to visit, mostly remote nations Dany had never paid much mind to. She grew envious of his adventurous spirit. It seemed Dany's sense of adventure was limited to the pages in a book. But, she had lived in Massachusetts for three years, and she told Jon all about that. 

“You've got to tell me, how did you finish your undergrad from Harvard in only three years?” Jon asked in utter disbelief. 

“I hated the cold,” she humbly explained.

“It gets cold here,” Jon retorted. 

“Nothing like Boston. I miss LA, though.” Dany went on to tell Jon about her decision to got to law school, and intentionally made it sound like most of her inspiration came from her Harvard professors' encouragements rather than the true reason: her father really wanted her to. But Dany did enjoy law, and she told Jon everything she liked about her classes. She told him about Missandei, their whole backstory and how Dany applied to Berkeley because Missandei was already a student here. 

“Her boyfriend is really nice, too,” Dany said. “Grey. I don't know if I would venture to say he's my friend, but him and Missandei have been together so long he's sort of an extension of her at this point, so I don't really feel embarrassed around him. Maybe we are friends. I don't know.”

“I'm glad that you have people,” Jon said sincerely. 

“Who do you have? Besides your not-girlfriend. I bet you're just as popular as you were in high school.”

Jon chuckled. “Maybe not _as_ popular, but I have a few friends.”

“That's good.” Dany had long since finished her hot chocolate. The empty cup sat on the small circular coffee table. She picked her legs up, planting the bottoms of her shoes on the sofa cushion. Knees to her chest, Dany rested her cheek on the back of the sofa, looking sweetly at Jon. “You're graduating, huh?”

Jon nodded. 

“Two years we went to the same school, and now that I finally found you, you're leaving.” If not for the soft smile on her face, Jon would have thought that made Dany sad. Perhaps it still did. 

“My lease isn't up til August, so I'll be sticking around a little while longer.”

Her smile broadened. “That's good. We can hang out.”

“Definitely.” Jon's fingertips found where Dany's hand was rested upon the sofa cushion beside her shoe. He felt her softness, her warmth. Her fingers twitched under Jon's until her hand turned over, and Jon danced his fingers gingerly along her palm. 

“Do you have roommates?” Dany quietly asked. 

“No. I have a studio a few blocks away. It's pretty shitty, but it's clean.”

“Are you still a clean freak?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “I was never a clean freak. You were just a dirty girl.” When Dany's silver brows rose high on her forehead, Jon realized what his little jest had sounded like. “Wait, I meant that. . . What I meant to say was--”

“It's okay,” she chuckled. “I know what you meant. First time you saw me, I was covered in sweat, puke, and whatever was on that bathroom floor.”

_You were beautiful,_ Jon nearly spoke. 

“You definitely couldn't have meant I was a slut,” Dany said, “because I never did anything with anyone except what I did with you, and we barely did anything.”

“I didn't mean you were a slut.”

“Sometimes I wish I was a slut.”

“Why?”

“I don't know. They just seem like they have more fun. But. . . I'm too nervous to ever do anything.”

“I thought you were calm now?”

Dany smirked. “I'm calm-ish.”

The Java Bean staff started to mop up the floors, and Jon realized the place was closing up for the day. He offered to walk Dany to her apartment, just a couple blocks from campus. She did wear his jacket while they walked, for it became quite chilly outside while they were in the temperate warmth of the coffee shop. When they reached the gate to Dany's building, she handed Jon back the jacket, and once Jon had it back on his person, he took Dany into his arms and wrapped her up in a tight embrace. 

“I'll see you Friday,” he told her before they parted. 

“You could see me before then, if you want,” Dany tentatively suggested. “We could get lunch or something.”

Jon smiled. Dany certainly wasn't the nervous wreck she once was. What was this? The third time in a row she asked him to hang out? “Thursday?” he asked. 

Thursday it was. 

* * * * *

They met at a Corner Bakery across from campus, both wanting to avoid pizza as an option. But deja vu still struck as Dany watched Jon devour half a meatball sandwich in three bites. His mouth was mesmerizing. Dany almost feared it.

Having touched on all the positive topics the last time they met, the conversation over lunch veered into more touchy subjects. When Jon asked how Dany's parents were, she replied with a frown and an eyeroll. Though for almost a full minute, Dany looked like she didn't want to talk about her parents, she eventually allowed herself to break into a small rant.

"What even is there to say? My parents don't give a shit about me, and they never have. I would say I want to come home for Christmas, and they'd say they already booked plane tickets to Spain for a Winter long vacation without me. They just assumed I wanted to stay in Boston all Winter. No one wants to be in Boston in the Winter. Oh, and they sold our house without telling me. I flew to LA a few years ago only to discover they had moved to Florida three months earlier."

"What the fuck?" Jon's eyebrows furrowed. He had known when the Targaryens sold their home because he too had come to LA for a visit a while back to find a new family lived there. The fact that they up and left without even telling Dany was unforgivable. Jon had always had a distaste for Dany's parents for shipping her off to boarding school, but he decided now that he hated them viciously.

"Yeah, so they're great," Dany concluded with a frustrated sigh.

"You should have just come to my family's house," Jon said. “It would have been awful, but we could have hung out.”

"You would have been there?" asked Dany, remembering Jon also had a complicated relationship with his parents.

"If it was Christmas, I would have been there. I'm a masochist in that sense, I guess."

Dany smiled glumly. "I think I might be a full-blown masochist."

Jon quirked an eyebrow. “Don't say that. I don't like the thought of people hurting you.”

“Sometimes it's good to be hurt,” Dany said. “If someone hurts you, it means they care. I would have rather my dad hit me then send me to Maidenpool.”

“Don't say that,” Dany quietly urged. “Trust me. You would not have wanted that.”

Dany gulped down the bite she had just taken, but it didn't fill the sudden hollowness in her belly. “Your father?” she cautiously asked. 

Jon sighed, regretting this topic immensely. He shook his head.

“Your step-mom?”

Jon stared down at the table. How humiliating. Here he was trying to be this mature man, paying for Dany's food and giving her his jacket when she was cold, but what sort of man is abused by his mother? _A child,_ he tried telling himself, but it was hard to imagine himself as a child when, sometimes, it felt like just yesterday he was nursing the cuts in his arm from where his step-mom would grip him so tightly she pierced his skin with her nails. 

“Let's change the subject,” Dany soon said, desperate to wipe the melancholic look off of Jon's face. 

Jon was all too happy to oblige. “Okay. Tell me what music you're listening to nowadays? Or is it all just Ashley Simpson?”

Smiling, Dany shook her head. For the next half hour they talked about music. Kanye, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus. Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, Adele. James Blake, Florence and the Machine, Justin Timberlake. Jon said he was more into alt rock currently. Young the Giant, Awolnation, the Xx, MGMT. 

“You're such a hipster,” Dany chuckled. “You and your skinny jeans and your MGMT.”

“You wear skinny jeans.”

“I'm a girl.”

Jon leaned forward, elbows on the table, and gazed into Dany's eyes intensely. “Are you calling my pants girly?”

Cheeks pinking, Dany softly replied, “No, I like them. You have nice legs.”

The corners of Jon's mouth lifted. How had he survived so many years without this sweet girl in his life? He wanted to take things slow. He wanted them to have a real shot at something. They would have almost four months to see where this could go before Jon would have to move out of his apartment. He had planned to go back to the LA area, maybe go to graduate school down there, but if he and Dany could become something up here, maybe he would stay. 

But Jon was too impatient. He missed her too much. He lacked self-control and self-awareness. It didn't matter that they were in a crowded Corner Bakery. Jon stood, leaned across the table, and pressed his lips to Dany's. 

After a small squeak and a subtle flinch from the shock of Jon's sudden movement, Dany reciprocated the kiss, puckering her lips to feel more of his. She even lifted a hand to his neck, and when Jon's lips parted, so did hers. 

No one kissed quite like Jon. It was like every little movement was deliberately calculated before hand and heavily rehearsed so that everything flowed perfectly. His lips were not domineering, his tongue not intrusive, his teeth never clanked against hers. It was all so soft and innocent, and yet Dany grew aroused. It wasn't just Jon's warm mouth and slick tongue that made her pussy similarly wet and slick. It was his audacity. That he would just kiss her so shamelessly and so publicly without warning. 

They kissed until Dany forgot they were in public, but Jon had just enough control to stop things before they scarred anyone for life. He parted from Dany and retook his seat, swiping his wet lips with the back of his hand. Dany did not make such an effort. She wished to keep her lips moisturized with Jon's saliva as long as possible. 

_I'm sorry,_ Jon almost said, but he didn't, because he wasn't, and by the starry eyed look on Dany's face, she wasn't in need of an apology. “We still on for tomorrow night?” Jon asked. 

Promptly, Dany replied, “Yes.”

* * * * *

The outside may have been chilly the night of Dany's twenty-first birthday, but inside The Dark Room, all was toasty warm with the body heat of so many twenty and thirty-somethings looking to have a good time with friends. Drinks, loud music, dancing, hot guys and girls. Dany was out of her element, and even with Missandei's arm hooked around her own, Dany felt vulnerable. As they waited their turn at the bar, Dany sensed the not so subtle ways men would stare at her. Or rather, her chest. It was all the fault of a black push-up bra and a tank top Missandei had taken scissors to before they left to really show off Dany's cleavage.

In her bedroom mirror, Dany had thought she looked rather sexy, but with all the attention she was getting at The Dark Room, she realized she maybe looked _too_ sexy. She wanted Jon to want her, but she didn't want him to think she looked this way on a nightly basis. Anxious sweat percolating down her spine as Dany wrapped her free arm around her chest.

"That's only pushing them up more," Missandei said, noticing Dany's nervous attempt at concealing herself.

Dany groaned. "This was a mistake. This is going to be awkward, just like last time. It's too chaotic here. I look ridiculous."

"You look hot!" exclaimed her tall, dark and gorgeous friend. Missandei turned to her other side and swatted Grey's shoulder playfully. "Tell Dany she looks hot."

"Nah, that's a trap," replied Grey with a shake of his head. "What do you two want, by the way?"

"No, no. We'll get better service if I order," insisted Missandei. She pushed through the crowd, leaned seductively over the bar and waved to the bartender.

"Don't worry," Grey told Dany, pressing close to her so they didn't get sucked away into the madness. "It sounds like this guy really likes you. Everything'll be fine."

Dany wrinkled her nose, naturally inclined to disbelieve such a statement. It didn't matter that Jon had kissed her, or that he seemed to have flirted with her numerous times in their two hang out sessions. Dany still found ways to convince herself Jon wasn't interested, that he found her anxiousness annoying and her jokes lame, that he still saw her as a naive little girl.

Missandei ran back to them, handing Dany a very tall, bright blue cocktail with a bendy straw, and Grey a beer. She then jumped back into the fray to get her own drink. Dany sniffed her drink, smelling a mixture of passion fruit and rum. She took a tiny sip.

“I'm just excited I get to finally meet this guy!” Missandei announced after hopping back over to them with her own blue drink in hand. They moved away from the bar to where there was actual breathing room, though not much. To Grey, Missandei said, “This is the guy who single-handedly got Dany kicked out of her house. Just for groping a titty!” 

Dany nearly choked on her second sip of whatever she was drinking. 

“Daisy!” rang out an oh so familiar voice. Dany's head immediately snapped toward the front door, where Jon was paying his cover charge and sending Dany a wave. She waved back immediately, smiling wide. 

Close to Grey's ear, Missandei mumbled, “And he calls her Daisy as like a little pet name. Like she's a little kitten he wants to--”

“I can hear you,” Dany stated, sending a glare to her friend. But inside, Dany rather liked the idea of being Jon's kitten, letting him stroke her back and give her little kisses on the nose. Her heart fluttered as Jon made his way over. 

Without skipping a beat, Jon wrapped Dany up in a firm embrace. Suddenly, Dany wished she didn't have this drink occupying a perfectly good hugging hand, but she made do. 

“Happy birthday,” Jon whispered close to her ear, making her shiver with excitement. 

Jon turned and introduced himself to Missandei and Grey. They both played it cool, something Dany was thankful for. When Jon turned back to Dany, he said he was going to run up to the bar and grab a drink, “and then, I'll give you your birthday gift.”

Pink in the cheeks, Dany replied, “You should get one of these. It's really good.”

Jon looked skeptically down at the tall, blue concoction Dany held in her delicate fingers. He leaned down and took a tiny sip from her straw, letting the flavor dance on his tongue while he pondered. “Yeah, that's pretty good. What's it called?”

Dany shrugged. 

“Alright. I'll be back.” Jon weaved through the crowd, toward the bar, shouting, “One blue mystery drink, please!” and causing Dany to giggle. 

“Oh my God,” stated Missandei, hands on her hips, big honey eyes directed down at Dany. “You are absolutely in love with him.”

Dany flinched from the accusation. “I am not.”

“You should be.” Missandei smirked. “He's really cute.”

“Hey now,” warned Grey, to which Missandei quickly draped her arms about his neck and pouted, saying, “But he's not my type.”

“No, because I'm your type,” Grey flirtatiously insisted. 

They started making out, and Dany cringed, turning away from them and trying to put eyes on Jon. A minute later, Jon returned with his own blue drink in hand, sipping at it from a green straw. 

“Well, we're going to go!” Missandei announced, hooking her arm around Grey's. 

“What?” Dany looked to her friend incredulously. “We just got here.”

“Yeah, but. . .” Missendei's eyes flickered to Jon for a moment, then she smirked. “We're going to go.” Missandei hugged Dany tight. “See you later, D. Tonight or. . . tomorrow.”

Dany scowled, praying that Jon had not heard that last bit. Missandei had been trying to get Dany laid in the nearly two years they've lived together, but Dany was too anxious to partake in any of her schemes. Tinder wasn't an option, because Dany was afraid of people from class seeing her profile. Blind dating wouldn't work, because Dany chickened out each time, vehemently refusing to meet up with a complete stranger. And meeting people the old fashioned way was what led Dany into the arms of someone like Ramsay. When Missandei discovered that Jon was here, and that Dany had actually taken the initiative of inviting him out with them, she knew this may be her only shot at pushing Dany out of the nest and into the arms of someone who knew how to handle a girl like Dany. 

After bidding goodbye to a very confused Jon, Missandei departed, dragging Grey along with her. 

Silence ensued. Not that there wasn't plenty of noise in the club, but the silence between Dany and Jon was palpable. Dany sipped on her drink just to occupy her mouth. 

Eventually, Jon said, “Let me give you your present.” 

“You didn't have to get me anything,” Dany protested, but Jon was already handing her his drink so that he could fish a small box out of his jacket pocket. 

“Just a heads up,” Jon said, retaking his drink and handing Dany the box, “it is a ring, but it's just some weird silver thing I saw at a farmers market, and I thought you might like it.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Dany opened the little paper box, and sitting on a bundle of tissue was indeed a silver ring. With the hand not holding his drink, Jon plucked the ring from the box. Breathlessly, Dany watched as Jon turned her hand over. He lifted her slender middle finger, and slid the ring on snug. Perfect fit. 

“What do you think?” Jon asked. 

“I love it,” was Dany's immediate reply. She would love anything Jon gifted her, but especially this ring. “You shouldn't have, but I love it. I'll never take it off.” Her cheeks blushed, realizing she sounded like a silly school girl, and that was not going to get Jon to be into her.

But Jon loved her words. He soaked them up like a sponge. If Dany truly would where his ring everyday, that would mean the world to him. Each time she would look down at her left hand, she would think of Jon, and to be thought of everyday, especially by Dany, was everything he could ever want. 

Behind them and up on the stage, a skinny dude in an oversized sweatshirt was preparing to begin his set. Dany was skeptical that this could be any good. Jon was even more skeptical. They stood there, sipping there drinks and being skeptical together. 

“You look really good,” Jon eventually said. 

“Oh,” Dany jumped from the compliment. “Thank you. You look good, too.” He really did. Tight pants, t-shirt, leather jacket. Dany could fall right into his arms. 

When the music began, something between hip-hop and trance music, Jon asked Dany if she wanted to dance. She snorted a laugh, assuming he was joking. Dany didn't dance. She never danced. She was too nervous to even dance alone in her room, worried she would catch herself in the mirror and embarrass her own self. But Dany's scruples left the building as soon as her tall cocktail glass was empty. Dany had never been drunk before, or even tipsy, so the warm, tingling sensation flooding her body was all new to her. But she liked it. She wanted to drink more and to feel more warm tingles, but most of all, she suddenly really wanted to dance with Jon, who had finished his drink minutes ago. 

Leaving their empty glasses on a vacant table, Jon allowed Dany to drag him to the dance floor. He hadn't had liquor in years, and he wasn't a large man, so the effects of that one drink – whatever the heck it was – were already taking hold of his senses. And clearly, they had taken hold of Dany's too. 

In the red and blue lights of the club floor, Jon couldn't much make out Dany's dance moves, but he knew he liked the way her body moved. He hooked an arm around her waist so that she might move it a little against his own. Her arms circled around his neck, and she stood on her toes to reach his ear. In it, she breathed, “Kiss me.”

Without regard for the random bodies jostling them around, Jon leaned his head down and pressed his mouth to Dany's. Any gentleness to Jon's kisses left with his inhibitions. He collided his mouth with hers and opened his jaw. He wanted to swallow her whole. As long as she lived inside his mouth, nothing could ever harm her. 

Eventually, Dany pulled away, panting. “I wanna do shots,” she said. 

They went to the bar and Jon got them both a double shot of tequila. “I don't think you're gonna like it,” he warned. 

Dany took the shot glass from him, a little dribble of liquor spilling from the rim. She brought it straight to her lips. _I'll prove him wrong,_ she thought, tipping the glass back. The liquor filled her throat like paint thinner. It stung. Her eyes watered. She swallowed half of it, but the rest just sat in her mouth like poison. Her eyes bulged and she hopped up and down, wagging her hands like her mouth was on fire, until she managed to relax her throat enough to choke down the rest. She gasped for air afterward, laughing at how awful it was and how right Jon was. 

Jon pressed a palm to Dany's cheek, chuckling. “You're bright red.”

“Ewwwww,” Dany squealed. 

“I told you you wouldn't like it!” Jon exclaimed before swishing back his own shot, swallowing it all in one go. He grimaced, not a fan either, but the warming sensation that rushed through his body was, literally, intoxicating. 

Shaking her head with disgust, Dany whined, “I need to get this taste outta my mouth!”

Jon pulled her against him suddenly and kissed her hungrily. _She wants the taste out of her mouth? I'll suck the tequila right off her tongue._

Dany moaned into his mouth, eagerly parting her lips and allowing Jon to swirl his tongue around hers like two snakes in heat. “Fuuuuuck,” she groaned, falling against Jon and holding him tight. Her nose pressed to his neck, she inhaled the scent of his cologne. “You smell fucking incredible.”

Kissing the side of Dany's head, Jon murmured, “You look fucking incredible.”

Tilting her head up, Dany pouted. “So I don't smell good?”

Jon pressed his forehead against hers. “You smell and look fucking incredible.” 

Dany grinned ear to ear and Jon kissed her teeth. “Do you wanna go to my place?” he asked. 

Immediately, Dany nodded, and a moment later, Jon had his hand clasped firmly in hers, leading her toward the door. Jon didn't have a car, but his apartment was only a few blocks away. They walked hand in hand. Well, Jon walked and Dany skipped, every few yards turning around, throwing her arms around Jon's neck and reuniting their mouths. It took them twenty minutes to make a five minute trek with all the make-out breaks. 

Jon's studio was on the third floor, no elevator. They scurried up quickly, like running a race. Dany ahead of Jon, Jon's hands on her hips the whole while. When they got inside, Jon turned on a lamp, illuminating the small space in a dim yellow. 

Dany looked around, swaying like she was dancing to music only she could hear. It was just one room with a door to a small bathroom and an archway into an equally small kitchenette. There was a desk, cluttered with classwork and Jon's laptop. There was a lounge chair that doubled as a coat rack, and there was a full-size bed. There was a red-painted dresser against one wall, and an IKEA nightstand tucked against one side of the bed. Dany went to it, looking over all the artifacts Jon liked to keep close to him while he slept. 

Snorting a laugh, Dany picked up the string of condoms. “You really are still Mr. Popular.”

Jon hurriedly snatched them from her hand, face a bright red. “Note that they are unused!” he protested, shoving them away in the nightstand drawer. 

Snickering, Dany picked up another packet of something. “Oooh gummies,” she murmured, ripping open the package. 

“Wait,” Jon hastily said, snatching the packet from her as well. 

“Hey!” she pouted, reaching for them. “I'm hungry.”

Jon laughed. “These aren't regular gummy bears.”

Dany scrunched her nose suspiciously and took the package from Jon's hand. She read the label three times. “TCH gummy bears? You have weed gummies?!” She gasped. “You're naughty, Jon!”

Clasping Dany's shoulders, Jon playfully argued, “You keep missing the point, Dany. They were unopened! I haven't eaten any!”

Grinning, Dany said, “We should eat 'em.”

Jon's eyes went wide. “Have you ever smoked or ingested weed before?”

Snickering, Dany shook her head. “I wanna do it. It's my birthday, and I wanna do it.”

Jon stared into her eyes for a good minute. God they were beautiful. Deep blue with little flecks of gold. He let out a heavy sigh, and nodded, taking the package back from Dany. While Dany jumped excitedly, Jon plucked a single gummy from the package and held it out for Dany. Without missing a beat, Dany opened her mouth and let Jon place the orange gummy on her tongue. He then popped one into his mouth. Chew and swallow. 

“Should we eat more?” Dany asked. 

“Hmm.” Jon pondered. “Maybe just one more each, to be sure.”

Dany nodded vigorously in agreement. Jon dropped another gummy into her mouth, then one into his own. Chew and swallow. 

“What should we do now?” Jon asked, sliding his palms across hers and lacing their fingers. 

“Mmm. . . music.”

“What music?”

“Mmm. . . Bangerz.”

Jon laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He then parted from her and went to his desk. He whipped open his laptop and in a minute, Miley Cyrus's Bangerz album was playing from his iTunes library. When he turned around, Dany was on his bed, on her knees, sitting on her heels. 

Hands on his hips, Jon frowned. “Do you have your shoes on my bed?”

“Maybe,” replied Dany sweetly. 

Jon climbed onto the bed and snatched Dany's legs, flopping her onto her back. She laughed and wriggled about, halfheartedly kicking her legs as Jon pulled each of her flats from her feet and dropped them to the floor. “I'm gonna bite your toes, little girl,” he growled, bringing a foot to his mouth. 

“No!” Dany squealed through a giggle, turning onto her belly and wiggling away from Jon's grasp until she was digging herself under the bed blankets. 

Jon crawled after her, tugging down the blankets to see her face. She squealed once more in surprise before Jon connected their mouths in a heated kiss. Dany immediately kissed back, snaking her arm around his neck and holding him tight. For nearly twenty minutes, they just laid there, kissing with tongues and little nibbles. Lost in the sensation, Jon couldn't tell where his tongue started and Dany's began, and he didn't care. Even with her under the covers and Jon on top, Dany felt Jon's erection grow against her hip. 

Eventually, they did break away, and for a good minute they just stared into each other's eyes like it was the first time they ever met. 

“Want to play a game?” Dany asked quietly. 

“Okay.”

She smiled. “Truth or dare?”

Jon groaned through a grin, turning onto his back. “This is a dangerous game.”

Giggling, Dany pushed away the bed covers and tossed a leg over Jon's lap, straddling him. The fact that she was wearing a skirt became supremely arousing as Jon felt her crotch against his clothed erection. “Truth or dare?” she asked again, eyes glimmering, tongue darting out to lick her lips. 

“Truth,” he said. 

“Do you think I'm sexy?”

Propping himself up on his elbows, Jon firmly stated, “Fuck yes.”

Dany giggled again. “Your turn.”

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” Dany chirped excitedly. 

“Hmm.” Jon pondered. “I dare you to take your bra off.”

“Just my bra?”

Jon nodded, and Dany proceeded to unclasp and shimmy her bra out from under her tank top. She tossed it across the room. Eyes glued to Dany's breasts, now free beneath the thin material of her top, Jon nodded slowly. “Much better.”

Dany blushed, reflexively curving her back just a bit to push out her chest. “Truth or dare?” she asked. 

“Truth.”

Groaning, Dany thought for a moment. “Do you have a crush on me?”

Jon laughed like it was the best joke he'd ever heard. 

“Don't laugh at me!” Dany exclaimed, swatting her shoulder. 

“I'm sorry!” He calmed and gave a definitive, “Yes. I have a crush on you. Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Jon's eyes roamed Dany's body while he considered all the many questions he wished to ask of her. _Do you want me to fuck you?_ hung on the tip of his tongue, but he was just rational enough not to go there just yet. “What does your pussy look like?”

Dany nearly choked she laughed so suddenly. She flopped off of Jon and onto her side she laughed so heartily. “Have you never seen a vagina!?” Dany asked through her laughter. 

Jon gaped, rolling over and hovering above Dany. “I have seen a lot!” he insisted. “But like. . . ya know. . . What does _yours_ look like? Like. . . do you shave at all?”

Dany quieted, her cheeks bright pink. She stuck a fingernail between her teeth. “Sometimes.”

“What about now?”

“You only get to ask one question!”

“You haven't answered my question.”

Wiggling underneath Jon, Dany shook her head. 

Jon ducked down and breathed into her ear, “Tell me.”

A shiver coursed from Dany's ear to her pussy. “Yes,” she cutely whispered. 

“Yes what?” Jon asked. “Yes, it's shaved?”

“Yes.”

Jon looked her in the eye. “All of it?”

She nodded bashfully. 

“Can I see?”

“No!” Dany laughed, shoving him off of her so that he was back to lying flat. Dany sat up beside him, looking down at him. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Dany groaned out a long, “Jooooooooon,” then asked, “You're not-girlfriend. . . Were you having sex her?”

“Sometimes,” Jon answered. 

Dany pouted, eyes casting down to her lap. 

“It never meant anything, though.” He took her hand, the one sporting his ring, and clutched it between both of his. 

“Your turn,” she replied. 

“Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Jon pondered, gazing up at Dany's beauty. “If you could be anyone else in the world, who would it be?”

A smile slowly stretched across Dany's face. “A dog.”

Jon chuckled. “That was not what I was expecting. Why would you want to be a dog?”

“Becaaaaaaaaause,” Dany whined through a smile, “dogs have the best lives! They get to sleep all day all cozy on your bed, waiting for you to get home, and then when you do get home, it's all food and treats and toys and belly rubs and sweet kisses on top of their head. And everyone _loves_ dogs. They get to cuddle up close with you at night and lick the sweat off your face.”

“But, if you're a dog and you pee on the carpet, someone is gonna swat you on the nose with a rolled up newspaper,” Jon said. 

Dany's smile grew mischievous. “Sounds kinda hot.”

Jon gaped. “I was wrong about you, Dany. You _are_ a dirty girl.”

“Maybe I am.”

“You are so fucking adorable,” Jon said, sitting up and throwing his arms around her like he was trying to absorb her within himself. He tucked his head down and gave the top of Dany's head a series of soft kisses. 

She giggled, wiggling around in his arms like she was trying to dig herself deeper into him. “Truth or dare,” she asked against his chest. 

“Truth.”

Another long groan. “How did you have sex with your not-girlfriend?”

“Don't ask me that,” Jon whined. “I don't know. The normal way, I guess.”

“Normal?” Dany asked, peaking her head up. 

“Yeah, like missionary. Well, one time standing up.”

Dany's mouth twisted in an unreadable expression. Jon quickly leaned in a pecked her lips. “Truth or dare?” he asked. 

“Dare.”

Jon smirked. “Show me your pussy.”

Dany gasped, shoving him away and laughing. “No!”

“You have to! You picked dare!” Jon protested. 

Despite the groan that rumbled through Dany's throat, she couldn't stop the smile that graced her blushing face. “Fine! But only the outside. You're not my gynecologist.” She stood up on her knees, reached into her skirt and pulled down her black panties, removing them completely and dropping them to the floor. 

Cock throbbing with anticipation in his jeans, Jon watched starry eyed as Dany lied down on her back, head upon a pillow. She lifted her hips enough so that she could pull her skirt up past her butt until the fabric was bunched up around her waist. 

Jon's eyes took in the delectable sight before him. Indeed, she was completely bald. Smooth, pale thighs met smooth, pale lips just begging to be tasted. Jon inched closer to her lap, but before he was close enough to smell her aroma, Dany shimmied her skirt back over her hips, concealing herself once more from Jon's view. 

“Truth or dare?” she asked. 

Jon looked up into her eyes, staring into them intensely. “Dare,” he finally said. _Dare me to eat your pretty little cunt,_ he begged her with his eyes. 

Dany exulted, sitting up and wearing a happy grin. “I dare you. . . to show me the most recent porn you watched.”

Jon's heart sank. “I don't watch porn.”

“Liar,” Dany snickered. “Everyone watches porn.”

Jon cocked an eyebrow. “What porn have you been watching?”

“Nuh uh.” Dany shook her head. “Not your turn. It's my turn, and I dared you to show me what porn you've been watching.”

Jon whined, dropping his face into his hands. He shook his head. “Don't make me. It's humiliating. You're being cruel.”

“Show me!” Dany insisted excitedly, bouncing up and down. “Please, Jon. I won't judge you, I promise.”

Peaking out of his fingers, Jon shook his head again. 

“Jon, I showed you my pussy!”

“Only the outside!” He groaned, sliding from the bed. “Fine. But you better not judge me, Daisy.”

“Never!” 

Jon went to his desk and closed out of iTunes, submerging the apartment in silence save for the creaks of Jon's cheap bed frame as Dany bounced up and down excitedly upon the mattress. “Don't look!” Jon loudly exclaimed.

“You have to show me!”

“I need to search for it, and I don't want you to see all the other stuff! Just. . . shut your eyes until I'm ready.”

With a giggle, Dany obliged, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her face with her hands. She trained her ears on the sound of Jon tapping at the keys on his keyboard and clicking on the touch pad, until finally the laptop speakers emitted the sound of skin slapping against skin, the backdrop to a chorus of high-pitched whimpering and low grunts. A man's voice was snarling crude language in a deep growl. Dany slowly uncovered her eyes and blinked at the screen. 

Jon sat back, fist pressed against his mouth as he anxiously watched Dany watch the last video he jerked off to, just last night. But he couldn't gauge her reaction, and that was the worst part. She looked both shocked and mesmerized, both frightened and delighted, both nervous and excited. 

“Do you do this?” she eventually asked, voice quiet, eyes glued to the screen. 

“What? No. No, never. It's just. . . It's just porn,” Jon stammered to respond. 

Dany swallowed all the saliva that had built up in her mouth as she watched the screen. “Do you want to do it?”

Jon's heart raced. He cast his eyes from Dany to the screen. _“Take my cock you filthy little slut!”_ seethed the male porn actor as he fucked the female actor in quick, steady thrusts, each one hitting her in a succinct slap, pelvis against ass. Jon quickly shut off the sound, but the image was scandalous enough. The young woman was bound with white rope. It wrapped around her legs from ankle to waist, keeping her legs sealed tight together. Her arms were also bound at the wrists behind her back. Her mouth was gagged with a ball and strap. She was in a ball, her weight sat upon her calves. The man had his fist around her long ponytail, tugging on it so that the woman's neck craned back and he could seethed more filthy things close to her ear as he rammed his cock in and out of her. She was completely nude, her small breasts bouncing and her thighs quivering. But the man was fully clothed in a business suit, only his cock exposed, though getting a good look at the organ was difficult as it moved like a blur in and out of the woman's pussy. He even had his shoes on. 

"I don't know," Jon breathed, suddenly feeling light-headed. In hindsight he probably should have only eaten one gummy bear.

"I want to," Dany said. When Jon looked at her, she was standing just before him, so tall and so self assured. "I want to do it."

"What?" Jon could hardly process an admission so astounding. His sweet Daisy? Surely she couldn't actually want to be tied up and fucked roughly from behind while being chided and called rude names. Jon would kill anyone who did those things to her. He'd straight up fucking kill them.

"I want to do what they're doing," Dany said. "That's my deepest darkest fantasy, but it's all I think about."

Jon stood. "You want to be used?"

"Yes," she insisted firmly.

"Like you're a fucking nameless sex doll?"

"Yes."

"No." Jon shook his head. The thought of that woman in the video being Dany. . . Dany being the one naked, bound and gagged. Dany being the one whimpering through seemingly forced orgasms, the one being fucked mercilessly. Jon was hard as a rock. He couldn't help it. He hated it, but loved it all at once. "I won't let you," he finally said. "Not with anyone. I won't ever let anyone touch you like that, ever."

"I want to do it with you, Jon," Dany confessed, stepping closer to him. She nearly tumbled, her depth perception not the greatest at the moment.

Jon blinked, wondering if he had heard her wrong. "What?"

She stepped closer. "I want you to fuck me like that."

His heart just about stopped. How could it keep beating when all the blood in his body was rushing straight to his cock? "I. . . um. . ."

"You're flustered." Dany smiled. "I made you flustered."

Jon breathed a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I'm really fucking flustered. But you're just joking around, right?"

Dany's expression grew serious and she shook her head. "I want to be yours."

"Mine?" Jon's heart leaped at the same time his cock twitched.

"Yours," Dany breathed. She lowered to her knees, staring up at Jon with doey eyes, like she was kneeling before a holy body. "I want to be yours. I've always wanted to be yours. I never liked anyone before you, and I don't think I'll ever truly like anyone but you. I need you. I need to be yours. I need to be the one who you fuck whenever your horny. Please? I dream about it all the time. I want to be tied to your bed all day, just waiting for you to come home and fuck me between classes. I want to wake up in the morning with your dick already inside me. I want to be your sex doll. I want you to use me. I want you to do whatever you want with me whenever you want to do it. I don't even want you to ask me. I just want you to rip my clothes off and do it. Anything. Everything. Make me yours, Jon. Please?"

When Jon hummed cautiously, it came out a low growl. He watched as Dany inched closer to him, her knees skidding against the hard wood, until her arms circled his legs and her cheek came to rest on his aching erection. Reflexively, Jon put his hand on the side of her head and pushed his hips against her, moaning from the added pressure to his constricted cock. He allowed himself to rock his hips against Dany's face a few more times before he managed to pry himself away from her.

He turned around, thinking that if he wasn't looking at her, he could stop himself from doing all the things that passed through his mind when she uttered the words "Make me yours."

"Jon," whimpered Dany, but it was not a sad sort of whimper. It was a lustful one, a needy one, a desperate one.

_Fuck._ Jon turned to see Dany had her hand tucked inside the hem of her skirt, pressed between her thighs. Her wrist moved in small even motions as her eyes stared up at him.

The words left his mouth before his brain could filter them. "You are so _dirty,_ Daisy."

Another whimper escaped Dany's throat.

"You wanna be a dirty little slut?" he asked, stepping forward. When she vigorously nodded, Jon leaned down and grabbed her by the shoulders, standing her up before him. "Then you're gonna be my dirty little slut."

In one sudden movement, Jon ripped Dany's tank top right down the center, exposing her pale breasts and blush pick nipples, hard as rocks. Dany gasped suddenly, and Jon turned her around, pulling the fabric down her arms and using the pieces to pull Dany's wrists together at the small of her back. Jon hastily wrapped her wrists up in the torn fabric and tied it snug.

Jon tugged Dany's head back by her hair, the top of her head touching his shoulder. "You want to be mine?" he asked hotly.

"Yes," Dany moaned.

"You want me to fuck you like I own you?"

Jon reached up and pinched a nipple between finger and thumb, and she cried out another, "Yes!"

Jon leaned down and kissed Dany's open mouth. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth until it was all wet, then tugged on it with his teeth as he pulled away.

Little horny sounds vibrated constantly from Dany's throat. She moved her thighs together in tiny motions, feeling her wetness coat her sex. She was so wet it was almost unbearable, like if she were to part her thighs it would all spill out onto the floor, and if she didn't get relief soon, Dany feared she may combust. "Please, please, please." And with every please, her eyes screamed _I need you._

Jon quickly bent his knees and scooped Dany up into his arms, one arm under her knees and the other beneath her shoulder blades. He dropped her in the center of the mattress and flipped her onto her belly.

Dany gasped against the white comforter as her skirt was tugged completely off her legs in one motion. Her heart was pounding. Her skin was damp, and not just her pussy. She was shaking uncontrollably. She heard the rustling of Jon removing articles of his own clothing. And then the mattress shifted, and he was hovering over top her.

Another gasp. Jon's cock brushed her butt cheek, but not a clothed bulge. The engorged organ hung free, tickling Dany's skin with the moist head. She lifted her bottom up, trying to feel more of it.

Jon scooped Dany's hair to one side of her head and pressed his lips to her naked ear. "I'm going to fuck your cute little cunt until your mine," he growled.

Another whimper. Another "Yes." It was all Dany wanted in the world. She felt like all her dreams were coming true all at once, because as much as she longed for Jon the person, she longed so deeply to be fucked in equal measure. It was like her body was starving and in need of nourishment. She was a dying vine in need of water and sunlight. Jon was her sun, and his cock would water her until she was finally growing strong.

The mattress shifted again. Jon left her long enough to grab one of the condoms he had shoved in his nightstand drawer. He ripped it open with his teeth and rolled it onto his raging cock with haste. Dany may have been the one crying "Please," but Jon needed this just as desperately. Ever since he pried Dany from that bathroom floor when they were teenagers, Jon had dreamed of being her one and only, the guy who would always be there for her and take care of her, the guy who would give her everything she needed no matter how embarrassed or anxious she was. She wanted to be a slut? She would be Jon's slut. She wanted to be owned? Jon would own her, and he would never ever abandon her. Not ever.

He crawled behind her and manipulated her body until she was in the exact same position as the porn actress, who was still being fucked on the laptop screen behind Jon. He put his hands on her thighs and parted her smooth outer lips with his thumbs, revealing the pink wetness within.

"Fuck," Jon hissed, never having seen such an enchanting sight. He felt like he was seeing God in her pussy folds, and now he needed to take the holy sacrament, to cleanse his body, his cock, in her holy water. Jon knew little about Christianity but he knew Dany's pussy was his Heaven's gate. "Are you ready to be mine?" Jon asked hotly as he positioned his cock at her pulsing entrance.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Dany cried, but the third "yes" morphed into a sharp gasp, then a low groan as Jon pressed his cock past her threshold, digging his way slowly into her moist channel. "OhmyGod!" she squealed, toes curling. It was finally happening. Finally. And it was fucking incredible. There was pain. It pinched and stung, but for only a few moment before all was eclipsed in full by the overwhelming pleasure of being filled completely by Jon.

"Holy shit, Daisy," Jon grunted, hands gripping her hips. "You're so fucking warm."

_Warm._ Yes, and a different sort of warmth laved over Dany's whole being as Jon bottomed out inside her. He rocked his hips against her ass, and Dany's jaw dropped.

Leaning over Dany, Jon growled, "Are you a dirty little slut, Daisy?"

"Yes," she moaned.

Jon dragged his cock half way out of her depths, then plunged it back in to the hilt, and Dany cried out a string of incoherent curse words. He gripped her hair and gave a tug. "You're my fucking slut now," he commanded. "You belong to me."

"Yes," she moaned again, and Jon repeated his thrusts in rapid succession.

"I'm going to fuck you every fucking day, Daisy. I'm going to fuck you so much, and so hard, that you'll never be able to get out of fucking bed."

Dany's head flooded with blood and euphoria. Yes, yes, yes, but she hadn't the capacity to speak the words as Jon fucked her so purposefully. She was suddenly picked up by the hair, tugged so that she stood on her knees, back arched. Jon's tongue swiped the length of her ear, his breath hot and smelling of liquor. "Tell me you're mine to fuck whenever I want," he demanded.

"I. . . I. . ." Dany choked on the syllables, too enraptured by all of the sensations molesting her at once that she struggled to make coherent sounds. Eventually, she swallowed and nearly screamed out, "I'm yours! You can fuck me when--whenever you want! P--please!"

Jon's hand snaked around her hip to where slick outer lips half-concealed a throbbing clitoris. His fingers dipped inside and touched the wet nub, causing Dany to gasp and push back against his cock, jolted by so much stimulation. But Jon only pressed her button firmer.

"Don't ever jerk away from my touch, Daisy," he warned. "This is my clit now. All of you is mine. Your warm, tight cunt is mine to fuck, and your little raging clit is mine to stroke and suck whenever I fucking want. Right?"

"Yes!" she cried, wiggling her hips back and forth between Jon's cock and his hand.

"Tell me you're a filthy slut," Jon demanded.

Dany whimpered, eyes squeezed shut, reveling in the most incredible experience of her life. "I. . . I'm a filthy fucking slut," she moaned.

“That's right.” Jon scrubbed the pads of his fingers across her clit rapidly while he fucked her hard, each thrust ringing out a slap of skin reminiscent of the porn video, but this sound was so much sweeter in Jon's ear. He was nearing the edge. But the edge of what? Surely not an orgasm, because Jon had had many orgasms in his life, and quite a few while deep inside a beautiful woman. This was nothing like that. This wasn't simply his body thirsting for release. This was his whole fucking soul pleading to be unleashed from a prison Jon never knew existed within him. 

“And what do filthy sluts need?” Jon asked, releasing Dany's hair and pushing her shoulders down so he could fuck her like the dog Dany wished she were. Dany's thighs parted just enough that Jon was able to keep his hand tucked underneath her, never ceasing his manipulations on her clit. And he would never cease. Not until she unleashed her own soul all over his mattress. 

Dany groaned out a few random syllables, a line of drool spilling past her bottom lip as she dug her forehead into the comforter. 

“What do filthy sluts need, Daisy?” Jon demanded, picking up his pace and fucking her rough. 

“Oh God!” Dany cried, body spasming. 

“What do you need?!” Jon asked once more. 

“Fuck me!” Dany cried. “I need you to fuck me!”

“I am fucking you,” Jon seethed against the back of Dany's head. “And your dirty cunt is so fucking hot. What you need. . . is for me to make you come like you've never come before.”

“Yes!” Dany's eyes watered. Her body was on fire and she reveled in it. Her lungs ached from panting so heavily but she didn't care. She would chew glass if only Jon would make her come while she did it. “Please, God, Jon! Please make me come! Please!” She begged over and over, but her body was already there. Orgasm struck her like matches igniting a blazing fire, and Jon's cock was the turpentine, making it spread throughout her body until she couldn't breath or speak or feel anything except all-consuming pleasure. 

She shook like a leaf flutters in a heavy wind, moaning and whimpering and squealing uncontrollably. All her movements, all her noises, all of _her_ sent Jon spinning off that edge. He planted his free hand on the mattress beside Dany's shoulder for balance, and grunted harshly as his cock erupted within it's latex confines. He pressed his forehead between Dany's shoulder blades and pumped his cock in steady thrusts, milking every last drop of semen from his urethra. 

He collapsed onto his side, bringing Dany with him until they were spooned together, heaving deep ragged breaths. Dany's eyes wouldn't open. She was lost in an abyss of total tranquility, high not just from liquor and weed gummies, but from the most mind-blowing orgasm she had ever had, and her very first shared with another. Body still quivering, she soon drifted off into a deep sleep. 

Jon manged to slide his softening cock from Dany's wet channel, and with his eyes out of focus, he reached down, pulled the condom off and mindlessly tossed it over the edge of the bed without a single care as to where it landed. Chest pressed to Dany's back, Jon quickly fell into his own deep slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

**SEPTEMBER 2019**

The sun shown brightly that late-Summer day. A Saturday. Dany sat on a wooden bench soaking in the sunlight and feeling it warm her cheeks and the tops of her shoulders. She was in an office park garden, eyes watching a buzzing bumble bee take nectar from a blossomed flower. She wet her lips. 

“For you,” Jon's voice spoke, interrupting her reveries of their night spent together just a few days ago. He handed her a warm to-go cup from the Starbucks nestled into one of the medical buildings behind her. Hot chocolate. “You still don't drink coffee?”

She smiled. “Never really liked the taste. Too much caffeine anyway. I'd probably explode.”

Jon sat beside her, draped his arm across the back of the bench behind Dany's shoulders and took a sip from his iced coffee. “You have a coffee maker in your kitchen.”

“I do make coffee sometimes, but only because I like the smell.”

Jon leaned into her and pressed his lips to her temple. “What do you want to do today?”

Dany's smile grew mischievous. “We can't do what I want to do until we get our tests back.” Just ten minutes ago, Dany had given a urine test and cheek swab at the clinic on the other side of the Starbucks. Jon had done so, too, despite already knowing he was clean. As pristine as Dany looked and felt, Jon needed to make certain they were both free of any infections before he let things go any further sexually. He also needed to make sure this guy Dany had been fucking didn't take advantage of her by passing an illness onto her. 

Dancing his fingers along Dany's shoulder, Jon replied, “We will do that when you're ready for that, and not a moment sooner.”

Dany pouted slightly, but nodded. 

“I was thinking something like. . . bowling,” Jon said.

“I suck at bowling.”

“Me, too. That's part of the fun.”

Dany played around with the idea in her mind. Bowling with Jon? How precious. How innocent. How special. “Okay. Let's go bowling.” 

“Before we do that--” Jon took another sip of his iced coffee, then set it down beside him, “we need to talk about what happened in Berkeley.”

Dany's smile fell. “I thought we did talk about it.”

“I need us to talk about it again when you're not high from having three orgasms in less than thirty minutes.”

Dany's breath hitched at Jon's language, both scandalized and tantalized by his uncaring attitude that they were in public. But the momentary pleasure of Jon's words were gone swiftly, and her eyes downturned to where Jon was lacing his fingers with hers in her lap. She took a slow sip from her cup, savoring the warmth, then swallowed. “I don't even know where to start.”

“Start at the beginning,” Jon replied softly. “Tell me what you were feeling the moment you woke up the next morning.”

**MAY, 2014**

_Cold._

The chill of the early morning was the only blanket covering Dany's naked body. Her teeth chattered. She moved about, trying to get under the blankets she lay atop of, but her arms were stuck behind her back. She tugged, but something was keeping her wrists cinched together. Her eyes finally opened, bleary from sleep. Her cheek was sticky with drool and her nipples were so hard they ached. Her ass was sore, like someone had spanked her, and her pussy. . . 

Her eyes focused, taking in her surroundings as the memories of last night slowly but surely came to her. Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so cold anymore. Her heart raced uncontrollably, and her blood temperature raised to great heights. She felt sick, like she could throw up. She still smelled the liquor on her own breath. She turned onto her belly – because turning onto her back was a difficult option what with her arms tied behind her back – and twisted her head to see where Jon had fallen asleep behind her. He was still asleep, but he faced the other way. All Dany saw was his bare back and his dark curls of mussed hair. 

Tucking her face down into the comforter, Dany started to cry from the ache inside her vagina. It wasn't the slight pain that overwhelmed her, though, nor was it even the cause of that slight pain. It was the fact that she had succumbed so thoroughly to the delights of her inner demons that she allowed herself to poison everything she wanted to build with Jon. 

_Dirty._

_Filthy._

_Slut._

That was what she was, what she always was. Her parents had sent her away for acting like a dirty slut and now she had finally proven them right beyond a shadow of a doubt. As long as she had kept her fantasies tucked away inside the darkest part of her brain, Dany could still rationalize it as merely a product of an overactive imagination. No longer. She had torn back the curtain and revealed her aberrant preferences not only to herself, but to Jon. _Jon._ Who looked at her like she was a sweet angel. But she wasn't sweet, and she wasn't an angel. She was disgusting. 

She managed to roll off the bed without use of her arms, but her knees hit the hard wood with a sharp thunk, and she gasped from the pain. Worse, the mattress shifted, and Dany heard the tell tale signs of someone wakening from sleep. She tried to stay quiet, like maybe Jon would fall back asleep if she could stay quiet enough, but her emotions were like a torrent consuming her. She pressed her face against the side of the mattress and sobbed. She wanted to run away, but no matter how hard she tugged, her wrists would not come free of her cloth shackles. And she was naked. Naked and trembling. 

“Dany?” Jon asked with a groggy voice.

Dany kept her eyes squeezed shut, thinking that if she could not see him, he would not be able to see her. She was not so lucky.

“Dany, what's wrong?” he asked quickly, voice dripping with concern as he crawled across the bed to look down at where Dany sat crying against the edge of his comforter. He looked around the apartment, as if he would find a culprit lurking in the corner, someone who had harmed Dany while he was still asleep, because surely she could not be so upset over what they had done together a few hours ago. Not when it was so fucking incredible. 

But Jon spotted nothing. They were alone, clothes strewn about his floor, a used condom lying in a puddle of fluids on the wood, and drips of red staining his white comforter. His brows furrowed. “Dany? What happened? Is this blood? Are you bleeding?”

Dany's body froze, paralyzed with the realization that losing your virginity often results in the tearing of the hymen which often results in. . . blood. Dany looked down, opening her thighs enough to see her pale skin smeared with the stuff. Now, she truly was going to puke, but she didn't know where the bathroom was. There was only one door other than the front door in this one room apartment, and yet Dany's head was spinning so severely she could not locate it with her eyes. And without the ability to cover her mouth with her hand, Dany keeled over and barfed up half-digested blue drink right onto the hard wood. 

“Shit,” Jon cursed, dropping to the floor beside Dany and scooping her hair up into his hands before it could sweep into the bile. 

“I'm sorry,” she moaned through silent sobs. Her arms tugged. “I can't – I can't get out.”

Jon cursed once more at his own incompetence and quickly untied the band of twisted cloth from around Dany's wrists. As soon as she was free, Dany jumped up and ran toward a door, praying it was the bathroom. 

Success. She shut herself up, locking the door, and flipped on the light. Bathed in florescent white, Dany looked like a specter in the mirror, pale and ghastly, her eyes rimmed with red. She looked hideous, disgusting; it matched her insides perfectly. With shaky hands, she turned on the sink faucet, wet her hands with the frigid water, and scrubbed at her inner thighs and her aching vagina with her palms until all the dried blood was gone. 

“Dany,” Jon's voice sounded through the door. He sounded sad. 

_He regrets everything, too,_ Dany assumed. Of course he did. He had graciously come to support Dany on her birthday, stuck around after Missandei and Grey ditched her, and even invited her over to his apartment. How did she repay him? She forced her sickness onto him, encouraged her demons to speak through her mouth and encourage him to be just as aberrant as she. Jon would never forgive her. Dany would never forgive herself. And she certainly could never look Jon in the eye again, knowing that he knew these awful things about her. 

“Dany,” he said again when she didn't answer. “Dany, were you a virgin?”

The tears came again. It was happening all over again. They could have been something real when they were teenagers, but Dany just had to keep the truth from him, a truth that caused him to run away. Here was another truth, that last night was the first time anyone had ever been inside her. She had never even used tampons before. God. . . He was going to hate her. 

“I'm sorry,” she whimpered, hugging her arms around herself while she shook. She didn't expect Jon to hear her, but he did. 

“Dany, come out,” he tried. “It's okay. Let's just talk about it.”

She shook her head. She couldn't talk about it. Not with anyone, least of all with Jon. She needed to leave. She needed to get as far away from him as possible. “I'm naked,” she ended up responding, to which Jon quickly promised to find her something to wear. 

A minute later, Jon was tapping on the door, saying he brought her some clothes. 

“Close your eyes!” Dany said. She wouldn't be able to cope under his gaze ever again. 

A moment later, Jon said, “They're closed.”

Dany opened the bathroom door a crack, just enough to reach her hand out and grab hold of what Jon had brought her. Then, she shut and locked the door once more. She tugged on her panties and skirt. Jon had also given her a brown hoodie with a VANS logo over the left breast, since her own top was unwearable after last night. She zipped it up to her neck and balled her hands in the sleeves. 

When Dany finally emerged from the bathroom, salt staining her cheeks, Jon was in sweatpants and a t-shirt, looking at her with a miserable expression. Dany hated it. She immediately averted her gaze to where her shoes were. She scurried to them, grabbed them, and rushed to the front door before even slipping them on. 

“Dany, wait,” Jon said, hurrying to the front door and putting his hand on the wood before Dany could pull it open. “We need to talk about it. You can't just leave.” He lifted his hand to push her tangled hair behind an ear, but Dany flinched away from his touch as soon as his fingers met her silvery strands. 

“Don't touch me,” she begged through a whimper. “Don't look at me. Just please, let me go.”

She spoke as if Jon was her captor, and she his hostage. How was he to refuse her wishes when she was so adamant, so scared? Scared of Jon. . . His heart broke into a million pieces to see her in such a way, but Dany couldn't see that. All she saw was a man who hated her, who wanted to sit her down and tell her that he could never be with someone like her. Dirty, filthy, slutty, and a _liar._

“Please!” she cried, and Jon moved away from her, watching with tears in his eyes as she ran away, as she ran away from _him._

* * * * *

**SEPTEMBER, 2019**

Jon listened to Dany's retelling of that morning contemplatively. There was a pit in his stomach that no amount of iced coffee could fill. The only thing that kept Jon from breaking down was that he had already surmised much of Dany's thought process already. He had had four and a half years to think of their tryst after all. Four and a half years to run through every word Dany had ever spoken to him and everything Ygritte had told him about Dany's headspace. 

“I'm sorry,” Jon said, quiet yet earnest. The hand in Dany's squeezed. He put his other hand on her shoulder and hugged her close. 

“Please, don't be,” Dany replied, shaking her head. “You didn't do anything wrong. I just freaked out. But, I loved what we did. I promise I did. It's just that. . .”

“You weren't ready,” Jon answered for her. “We weren't ready. It was too soon, and it was too much. I knew it was too much, but I wasn't thinking clearly.”

“We both weren't thinking clearly.”

Jon replied, “I wish it had been different. As much as I loved it, too. And I never should have called you dirty. You aren't dirty. You never were, and you never will be. I will never, ever say anything like that again, because it isn't true.”

Dany's eyes glimmered, “I know that now. . . for the most part. I'm working on it.”

“I know. And I am very proud of you.” Jon leaned in and pressed a kiss to Dany's smiling lips. 

“Jon?” she whispered. “Why are you doing all of this for me?”

Jon cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean. . . Why are you here? Did you get that job because you knew I worked there.”

“I applied to lots of jobs, and maybe I applied to this one because I knew you worked there. When I got the offer, I almost didn't take it, but that was just my fear trying to hold me back. I didn't want to listen to my fear anymore.”

“What were you afraid of?”

Jon swallowed. “Finding out that I had hurt you. Finding out you hated me. Finding out you didn't need me anymore. Finding out you didn't want to be mine anymore.”

Dany was quick to dispel Jon's worries. “You didn't hurt me. I never hated you. I do need you, and I do want to be yours.”

“I know that now,” Jon replied, quirking a smile, “for the most part. I guess we both have things we're working on.”

Dany nodded. “Well, I'm proud of you, too.”

After another gentle kiss to Dany's lips, Jon stood and helped Dany to do the same. “Let's go bowling, Daisy.”

* * * * *

It was like a real date. Maybe it was a real date. Dany wasn't really sure what exactly she and Jon were beginning here, but she knew she liked it. She knew she didn't ever want to do it with anyone else. Just spending the day together in these simple ways – getting tested for STIs, getting coffee, and going bowling – made Dany feel more alive than she had. . . well, since she last spent time with Jon. Usually her Saturdays consisted of working from home, eating TV dinners while working from home, and then exploring kink chat rooms just so she could get off while a stranger talked dirty to her. This was infinitely better, though, and she suspected she still may get off by the end of the night. 

The clinic called Dany's cell as they were walking out of the bowling alley, and Jon told her to put it on speaker phone. Dany quirked an eyebrow at Jon, but complied. She answered the call, then tapped the speaker phone icon. 

“Good afternoon. Is this Miss Daenerys Targaryen?” the caller asked – the medical assistant from the clinic. It was good news. Dany was squeaky clean, something that made her incredibly happy. Jon could fuck her now. Even if he thought she wasn't ready yet, at least there wouldn't be anything standing in their way. 

After she hung up, Dany looked suspiciously at Jon. “You didn't trust me?”

As they walked to the car, Jon replied, “I just wanted to see if you would protest. Now that I know you wouldn't, I trust you even more.”

As he always did, Jon opened the passenger side door for Dany, and when she was seated in his Civic, Jon leaned over her and buckled her in. Dany grew tingly all over by the gesture. She would never not adore him pulling a seat belt across her chest and fastening her safely in her seat. Just as Jon climbed into the driver's seat, his own phone rang, same number. When he answered, he also put the call on speaker phone. 

“Good afternoon. Is this Mister Jon Snow?” the same voice asked. More good news. They were both STI free. 

“You know what this means?” asked Dany with a devilish smile. 

Jon slid his phone into a cup holder and smiled at Dany. “It means I can fuck you however I want without a condom getting in the way of me feeling every inch of you.”

Dany shivered with glee, her bottom lip tucking between her teeth, thighs pressing together as her pussy awakened. 

“But,” Jon said, lifting a hand to stroke Dany's soft cheek, “that doesn't mean I'm going to. Not yet. I'll fuck you when you need it, Daisy. I promise.”

* * * * *

“So how is this all going to work?” Dany asked Jon as they lounged on her living room sofa, shoes off, Jon on his back and Dany tucked between his side and the back sofa cushions. 

“Do you remember the rules?” Jon asked her, arm wrapped tight around her. 

“Yes,” Dany breathed. 

“Tell them to me.”

She swallowed, smiling like she had been caught sneaking cookies from a cookie jar. 

Jon chuckled. “What's rule number one?”

Dany searched her memory, recalling what Jon said when she tried to pour a glass of wine. “No drinking or drugs. You won't do anything with me if I'm intoxicated.”

“Exactly.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It'll be safer that way. What's rule number two?”

“Hmm,” she hummed contemplatively. “Don't. . . Don't speak unless you tell me to.”

“Good.” He kissed her forehead again. “What's the third rule?”

Dany smiled. She would never forget the third rule. “It's just you and me,” she said. “No seeing anyone else. No fucking anyone else. No dating anyone else. No sexting with anyone else.”

“Perfect.” Another kiss. “And when do you follow that rule?”

“All the time.”

“Very good.” Jon ducked his head lower to press the next kiss to her lips, a reward for being such a good girl. “What's the fourth rule now?”

Dany sighed lustfully. “Don't disobey Jon.”

Chuckling softly, Jon pressed another kiss to her lips. “Good girl. And the fifth rule?”

“No trying to stop you, unless with the safe word.”

Another kiss. Dany wished there were a hundred rules so she could get more of these thoughtful pecks. 

“Now what's the last rule?”

Dany frowned at rule six. “No begging.”

“Precisely.” Jon kissed her frown away. “Do you think that's enough rules, or do you need more?”

Dany thought on the question for a bit. She loved these rules for the most part, and she was excited to follow them when they were having sex, but Dany didn't want her and Jon's relationship to just be about sex. She wanted the whole package. She wanted them to be Jon and Dany. “Well. . .” she began nervously. “Are there any rules you want me to follow outside of when we're having sex?”

Jon studied Dany's anxious expression. “You need more stability in your life, don't you? Would you like me to give your life more stability?”

Dany was wary, but excited all the time, and her pussy was already wet. “Yes,” she whispered. 

For the next hour, Jon went through everything in her apartment. With Dany standing beside him, Jon went through her refrigerator, tossing out all the things that weren't good for her and leaving the rest, with a few exceptions for when she wanted a treat. He then went through her pantry and did the same. “I'll try to cook for you when I'm here,” Jon told her after he threw out half of her food supply, “so you have things to eat that are good for your body.”

Not even minding all the wasted food, Dany smiled, nodded, and accepted the soft kiss Jon pressed to her lips. They moved to the bathroom next, and Dany stood by while Jon went through all the drawers in her vanity and all she kept in the medicine cabinet. She had a few hydrocodone tablets in an expired prescription bottle from when she had her wisdom teeth removed. 

“I only keep them just in case,” Dany said. 

Jon nodded and put them back. “I trust you.”

He threw out all her expired makeup and anything with chemicals in it he found particularly harmful. “You should get an electric toothbrush,” Jon said. “It'll be better for your teeth.” 

Dany blushed when Jon found her supply of tampons and pads, but nothing compared to the embarrassment she suffered while watching Jon pull an enema kit out of the bottom vanity drawer. Jon immediately cocked a cute smirk up at Dany.

“It was – I had – It was for --” Dany stammered before Jon interrupted. 

“I know what it's for.” He put it back and stood, leaning toward Dany and giving her a gentle kiss. “No need to be embarrassed, Daisy. You never have to be embarrassed with me, as much as I love it when your cheeks get pink and your nose scrunches up like that.”

In response, Dany's cheeks naturally pinked and her nose reflexively scrunched. Jon kissed her once more before moving to the bathtub and drawing back the shower curtain. 

Seated on the lip of the tub, Jon studied the ingredients on all of the bottles – shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, shaving cream. He didn't toss anything out, rather he read over the directions for each product, wanting to know every little detail about how Dany cleansed herself each day.

“Do you take baths or showers?” Jon asked, noting she had a rain shower head as well as a separate detachable head. 

“Shower,” she answered. “I mean, I love baths, but I just never take them for some reason.”

He nodded, seeming to ponder that response. He soon stood, satisfied now with the state of Dany's bathroom. “Let's go to your bedroom now,” he said, and the simple statement aroused Dany further. 

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Dany watched as Jon went through her closet, occasionally pulling things out to look them over, then putting them back. He didn't tell her to get rid of anything, which made Dany both proud to have pleased him without trying and disappointed that he did not wish her to make any changes that would further satisfy him. 

When Jon reached the final article of clothing, shoved up against the wall and hanging from a plastic hanger, Jon stalled. He took the hoodie off the hanger and pulled it out of the closet. It was his from back when he wore Vans hoodies all the time. This one had been his favorite – the one he gave to Dany to bundle up in before she ran from him. 

“I kept it,” Dany admitted, bringing a fingernail between her teeth. “I still wear it sometimes.”

Jon looked from the worn brown hoodie to Dany, sweetly staring back at him with a look like he might be angry with her for keeping it. Quite the opposite was true. He felt a warmth radiate from his heart throughout his body. “Put it on for me,” he gently commanded, but Dany knew that when Jon said to put something on, it meant “Let me put it on you.”

She stood and turned around, holding out her arms so that Jon could fit her in his old hoodie. But instead, Jon tossed the hoodie over one shoulder and undressed Dany. He lifted her shirt, and Dany dutifully raised her arms above her head. Jon pulled the shirt off, dropped it onto her bedroom sofa, then unclasped her bra and rid her of that as well. He snaked his arms around her hips and unbuttoned her jeans. Dany shivered lustfully when his fingers slowly dragged the zipper down. He hooked his thumbs in the hem of her tight jeans and pushed them down her hips and thighs, then knelt to pull the legs off of her left foot, then her right. He pulled off her pink ankle socks last, then tossed all her clothes on the sofa. 

Now only in her polka-dot panties, Jon was ready to put Dany in his hoodie. He held it in two hands and slid one sleeve up her arm, then the other. He curled his arms around her and zipped her up, leaving enough space open at the chest to expose some cleavage. He turned her around slowly, then looked her up and down with a satisfied smile. 

“This is how I want you,” he said. “Whenever we're alone together here, this is how I want you dressed. One of my shirts or sweaters, and panties. That's it.”

Those panties in question were growing wetter and wetter the longer Jon's gaze devoured Dany's body in the oversize hoodie which hung down to the tops of her thighs. 

Dany smirked sweetly. “You don't want me in sexy, elaborate lingerie and pumps?”

“No,” Jon replied decisively. “Lingerie isn't what turns me on, and you wearing heels definitely doesn't turn me on, because I know you only wear them when you want to feel taller. You will never have a need to feel taller around me. I want you to be natural and comfortable. That's what turns me on. Are you comfortable like this.”

“Yes,” Dany answered honestly. In fact, this was how she dressed most often when alone in her apartment. 

“Good.” Jon tilted her chin up and kissed her lips once. Then, he moved to Dany's dresser. 

Dany sat back on the edge of the bed and watched Jon open up her top dresser drawer. Her pussy stirred. It was her underwear drawer. He sifted through it carefully, studying each bra and panty. Most were not particularly sexy, but Dany knew she owned a few scandalous items, from when she drank too much wine and made spontaneous late night purchases on lingerie websites. 

Naturally, Jon zeroed in on one such a purchase. He brought out a little thong in sheer, blush pink fabric. “I changed my mind,” Jon said. “Maybe lingerie does turn me on.”

Dany giggled, enjoying the look of wonder on Jon's face. 

“Let's put it on,” Jon soon said, and Dany stood. 

Jon knelt before her and removed for her her damp, polka-dot panties, tossing them aside. Jon held out the thong and Dany stepped into it, one foot after the other. Then, Jon lifted the flimsy fabric up her legs until it was cradling her pussy and snug around her hips. Jon lifted the hoodie to her waist to get a good look at what Dany's pussy looked like concealed by a veil of translucent pink. He could still make out her triangle of hair, and the shadow along the crease of her outer lips. He released a moan, but quickly collected himself and stood. 

“What will you do on the days I come over?” he asked Dany. “How will you greet me at the door?”

Demurely, Dany answered, “Wearing your sweater or shirt and a pair of panties. Nothing else.”

“Good girl,” Jon said, leaning down to give her a reward-kiss. 

“What if we're going out?” Dany asked. 

“Especially when we're going out,” Jon said. “I'll want to help you get ready.”

Dany's heart leaped while her pussy pulsed. She wasn't sure they would ever get out the door, though, because if Jon helped her get ready, she would surely just rather stay in and let him get her ready all night long. 

“But,” he said, stroking a hand down the back of her head, “if I ever need you ready to go when I pick you up, I'll let you know.”

Dany nodded, then quickly accepted another kiss. 

Jon went back to the dresser and resumed his duties, acquainting himself with Dany's every piece of clothing until he came upon something that was not clothing at all, tucked between her socks and camisoles. It was a small white box, another relic from the past. He opened it. 

“I kept that, too,” Dany said nervously. 

Jon looked to her, then back down at the silver ring. “You don't want to wear it?”

Quickly, Dany explained, “I didn't know if you wanted me to or not.”

Jon stood and brought the ring to Dany. “Will you wear it for me now?”

A question, not a command. Dany's heart ached to see him unsure. She nodded and held out her left hand, letting Jon slide it onto her middle finger. Still as perfect a fit as when she was twenty-one.

“I won't take it off again,” Dany assured. 

“Just. . .” Jon lifted a hand to her cheek and stroked her cheekbone gently, “wear it when you want to.”

“I want to always,” she insisted. 

Jon smiled in response, leaning down to kiss Dany softly, but he felt so lucky to have her finally that he could not contain himself any longer to gifting her just one kiss. When one kiss finished, he gave her another, and another. Soon, his lips her parting and he was feeding her his tongue. She moaned. 

Before things went too far, Jon stepped back. He took a deep breath, then went back to the dresser. As much as he longed to toss Dany onto her bed and ravage her, Jon needed to stop being so easily seduced. _Control._

In just a few more minutes, Jon was finished. He looked to Dany's laptop sitting on her nightstand, wondering what he would find if he went through that. Maybe it was too soon for that, though. She needed stability, but she needed to be eased into it, less she grow scared and run again. This would do for now. 

“I was going to tell you not to wear anything too revealing outside the apartment,” Jon told Dany, “but your clothes are all pretty modest. I'm proud of you.”

Dany nodded, pressing her toes into her rug. She was so fucking horny she could barely stand it. 

Jon stepped close. “It's just that there are a lot of scary men out there who might look at your body and want to take it for themselves, and I can't let that happen. I need you to be safe, and I'm glad to see I don't have to worry quite so much. You're already such a good girl.”

Dany nodded, eager to please Jon just by her simple outfit choices on a day to day basis. Jon kissed her once, then said, “I'm going to order us some food. Let's stay in tonight.”

Another nod, and another kiss. 

When their Chinese delivery arrived, Jon sat Dany at the round dining table and told her to keep her hands in her lap. “Don't disobey me now,” Jon warned, letting her know that all of the rules would be in effect from now on. 

Dany laced her fingers together and rested them atop her thighs, dutifully nodding. For the entire meal, Jon would take a large ravenous bite himself, then give a normal sized bite to Dany, using chopsticks to place a hunk of meat or a group of noodles past her parted lips. Every couple of minutes, Jon would raise a water glass to Dany's lips and she would take a few sips. 

“Are you full?” he eventually asked, to which Dany nodded. She did not want to eat too much, in case Jon actually did want to fuck her. “Wait here while I clean this up.”

Jon tossed the empty containers and stored the leftovers in the fridge. He wiped down the table with a paper towel, then asked Dany, “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

Dany thought for a moment, then answered, “Yes.”

“Okay.” Jon took Dany's hand into his own and helped her to stand. “Let's go.”

Dany raised an eyebrow, but it was against the rules to ask questions. When Jon led her inside the bathroom, she shifted from one foot to the other nervously. He wasn't leaving the bathroom, and Dany had never peed in front of anyone before. 

“Are you okay?” Jon asked, giving Dany the go ahead to voice her concerns. 

“You want me to go in front of you?” she asked. 

“You don't want to?”

Dany thought it over for a moment. “I don't know. What are you going to do?”

Jon smiled, inwardly chuckling at Dany's expression, like she wasn't sure if Jon had some sort of pee fetish or not. He took her shoulders in his hands and told her calmly. “I'm going to stay next to you while you pee, and when you're finished, I'm going to take some tissue and wipe your pussy. Then, I'm going to flush the toilet, wash my hands, scoop you up into my arms and carry you to bed where I will eat you out until you come on my mouth. Is that okay?”

Dany shuddered as soon as he said “pussy.” She nodded decisively. 

Jon knelt and pulled down her thong until it slouched between her ankles, a shimmery wet spot clearly visible on the crotch. She sat upon the white porcelain toilet, knees slightly parted. Jon remained kneeling, eyes on her face. After a minute, he asked once more if she was alright. 

“I'm sorry,” she said. “It's just. . . It takes time sometimes when. . .” 

“It's okay,” Jon said, placing his warm hands on her knees. “It feels weird, I know. But there's nothing weird about it. Everyone pees. And I'm not going to do anything with it. I have absolutely no interest in your pee. I just want to know your body. Everything about it. And I want to take care of it for you.”

Dany swallowed, then nodded. Her nerves subsided as soon as Jon leaned in and kissed her tenderly three times. A big reward. She wanted more big rewards. She wanted him to touch her pussy, to put his mouth on it the way no one had ever done before. After Jon leaned back, Dany relaxed her body, and soon her waters were flowing, releasing into the bowl beneath. Jon ran his thumbs across her knees until the stream ended. 

He leaned in and kissed her three more times, then spooled out a wad of tissue, dipped his hand between her thighs and dabbed her vagina. “Wow,” he said. “You are extremely wet, and I am not talking about pee.”

Dany blushed, smiling bashfully. 

When the toilet was flushed and Jon's hands were washed, he situated Dany's thong back up her hips, picked her up into his arms, and carried her to her bedroom the way a groom carries his bride across a threshold. He rested her down in the center, toed off his shoes, and climbed up, straddling Dany's thighs. 

They shared smiles and soft looks, playing with each others hands for a full minute until Jon unlaced a hand from Dany's and used it to draw the zipper of his hoodie down Dany's torso. He pushed the fabric aside, exposing her breasts to him. She made no effort to conceal them, and for that, Jon leaned down and kissed her lips once, then her chin once, her throat and the center of her chest until he cupped the underside of her right breast and fed the nipple into his mouth. 

She gasped, squeezing his hand tightly while her free hand slid behind his shoulder, pressing into the material of his t-shirt. 

Jon laved his tongue over the hard nub while his lips suckled around the soft areola. He played with her nipple in his mouth for some time until he was ready to move on to the rest. Dany squirmed, whimpering with pleasure as her sensitive flesh was manipulated under Jon's tongue and between his lips and teeth. 

“Oh fuck,” she sighed, but her words caused Jon to immediately pry his mouth from her breast and stare intensely into her eyes. 

“Did you say something, Daisy?”

Dany's breath hitched, and she pressed her lips together tightly. She moved her hand from Jon's shoulder to mimic pulling a zipper across her lips. 

Jon lifted a smirk. “You're lucky you're so fucking adorable, or I'd turn you over and spank you.” He pinched her nipple between finger and thumb, making her gasp through her closed mouth. “Next time, I will.”

Quivering from the shock of pain encompassing her nipple, Dany nodded quickly. 

Slowly, Jon released her swollen nub and washed it with his tongue, soothing the delicate flesh. When Dany was back to purring softly with pleasure, Jon moved downward, kissing the underswell of her breast, then the center of her belly. He swirled his tongue around her navel, then pressed wet kisses down her abdomen, crawling further down her body as he went until his mouth was over her sheer, wet thong. He licked her pubic hair through the fabric. Dany's thighs shivered. 

“Are you cold, baby?” Jon asked her softly. 

Dany immediately shook her head. She was staring down at him, lips parted, eyes wide with anxious wonderment. 

Jon inched down, tracing her pussy lips with the tip of his tongue, tasting the juices that coated the porous thong. He need more. He needed as much as he could get, but something about eating her through her thong was to enticing to forgo. He situated himself between Dany's thighs and spreading them open. Her scent was intoxicating. He followed it, pressing his nose above her clit and feeling the wetness. He dipped his tongue out to lick her labia. Even through the fabric, Dany moaned, pushing her hips upward. 

Holding her hips against the mattress, Jon covered her sex with his mouth, tonguing her entrance and grazing his teeth against her clit. The hand not still clasped in Jon's went behind his head, fingers lacing with his curls. There was a reason Jon hadn't told her to keep her hands to herself. He wanted to feel Dany's soothing touch while he gifted her something no one else ever had. 

He moved his tongue to her clit and circled it, flicking it back and forth a few times before sucking it through her thong. She wiggled beneath him, desperate sounds reverberating through her throat. She was close. Her heart raced, muscles tensed. 

“Please, yes!” she cried, and because of that, just before Dany erupted, Jon pulled away. 

“No,” she quickly protested, sitting up on her elbows. 

“Did you say something?” Jon asked sternly. 

A drawn out whimper was Dany's response. 

“Did you say please, Daisy?” Jon asked. 

Dany pouted deeply. “I'm sorry.”

“I forgive you,” Jon immediately replied. “But, I have to punish you now.” Dany gasped as Jon quickly turned her onto her stomach. “Butt up,” he told her. 

Dany whimpered with dismay, but complied readily, gliding her knees underneath her so that her butt was up the the air. Jon's hands palmed her cheeks, massaging the soft flesh in preparation for what was to come. 

“Which rules did you break?” Jon asked Dany. 

“I talked,” Dany answered glumly. 

“What else?”

“I begged.”

“That's right,” Jon said. “Two rules broken. Two spanks.” That was his only warning before drawing his palm up and swinging it down against Dany's butt cheek, causing it to ripple and pink. 

Dany gasped sharply, body flinching forward. She had thought Jon would go easy on her still, but he gave her big girl spankings that sent shocks of pain through her lower half. But somehow, the knowing that after Dany endured this pain, Jon would kiss her lips and finish making her come, gave the pain a pleasurable feel. She longed for the next spank so that Jon could get back to eating her out. 

But Jon was going easy on her. He didn't want her to suffer. He only wanted her to learn. So, for the second slap, Jon hit her other cheek, smacking a harsh squeal out from Dany's throat. Afterward, Jon gently rubbed his palms over her cheeks to sooth the pink flesh.

He turned Dany onto her back again, crawling up her body to kiss her mouth tenderly. "You did so good, baby," he murmured, then kissed her again. "I want to make you come so badly, so please don't break the rules again."

Dany nodded, she too wanting so badly to come. She watched Jon crawl back down her legs. He finally pulled down her panties, tossing them away. Then he moved her thighs apart and dove right in.

It was a struggle for Dany not to speak. She wanted to cry out Jon's name. She wanted to tell him she was going to come, that he was making her come, but Jon didn't need to hear those things. He knew them already by the way her body reacted to his ministrations.

Jon lapped at her delicate petals and suckled her swollen clit. He drank the juice from her pussy and replaced it with his saliva.

It was all too intense. Dany had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from shouting out a string of words that would only serve to make Jon stop. She could not let him stop. She needed it too badly. She needed _him_ too badly. Low, haggard moans left her throat as her body spasmed with the first shock of her peaking orgasm. If not for Jon pressing her hips down, Dany was likely to fling herself from the bed from such a powerful surge that rippled through her. All the while, Jon ground his mouth against her pussy, paying special attention to her clit, and not going easy until Dany was digging her fingernails violently into his hand, back arched off the bed. 

Slowly, Jon brought her down from her high, running the flat of his tongue languidly across her over-sensitive clit. As her body began to melt upon the duvet, Jon blew a gentle stream of air across her clit, then gave it a kiss like he was kissing Dany's forehead. 

Dany's legs went limp, as did her arms. Her fingers hadn't the strength to keep hold of Jon's hand. Her head lulled to one side, eyes fluttering while her chest heaved up and down evenly. Soft breaths left her parted lips, and Jon continued to press gentle kisses to her other parted lips. When he was finished, soothing her spent pussy, Jon moved to sit beside Dany. He stroked his hand down the side of her head, running his fingers through her hair. 

“How do you feel, baby?” he softly asked. 

Dany swallowed and picked her tired eyes up to meet Jon's. Smiling softly, she answered, “Good.”

Jon smiled back. “You're going to have to be more specific than that, Daisy.”

“Mmm.” A quiet moan left her throat. “I feel calm.”

Jon leaned down and kissed her lips gently, then swiped his thumb across the bottom one to clean away her shiny come. “I'm so proud of you,” he said. 

Smiling wider, Dany asked, “What about you?”

“What about me?”

Her lazy hand lifted to rest on Jon's thigh. “I want you to feel calm, too.”

“I'm already calm,” Jon replied, though the truth in that statement did not apply to his cock, which was very much not calm. “I'm going to go to the bathroom, but I'll be right back to snuggle with you.”

Just as he did the last time, Jon retreated into the bathroom to take care of himself so that Dany wouldn't have to feel his erection pressed against her butt the rest of the evening. He washed his hands, and thoroughly washed his face, then went back to help Dany get under the covers. Just as he did last time, Jon shed his clothing down to his underwear, then climbed into bed and pulled Dany against him. 

She wasn't naked this time, rather Jon's old hoodie still hung from her shoulders, warming her arms and back. Jon didn't protest. As much as he wanted Dany completely bared to him while she slept, he also wanted her to be warm as she drifted to sleep in his arms. 

It was only nine o'clock, and when eleven rolled around, Jon nudged Dany awake with a wiggle and a few kisses to her forehead. 

“Daisy girl,” he whispered against her flesh. 

A small, tired moan rumbled through Dany's throat as her eyes fluttered open. 

“I have to go,” Jon told her. “I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

Dany's nose scrunched with dismay. “No you don't. Tomorrow's Sunday, and if I don't have work to do tomorrow, you don't have work to do tomorrow.”

Jon chuckled and kissed her lips. “I do have to work tomorrow, unfortunately. But I will miss you, and I'll be thinking of you all day. And you can always text me when you're bored.”

Dany groaned, but nodded. She accepted Jon's lingering kisses, then smiled contentedly when he told her she was a good girl, and that he would see her Monday. 

“Wait,” Dany said as Jon re-dressed. She sat up, making no effort to wrap Jon's hoodie over her breasts, something that brought Jon great joy. “I have a question about the rules.”

“Okay,” Jon said, pulling his jeans on. 

“Is there a masturbation rule?”

Jon smirked, in awe of his Daisy. She truly was built for this lifestyle, and Jon was more than happy to provide it for her. “How often do you touch yourself?” he asked, cock stirring awake at the thought of Dany pleasuring herself. 

Bashfully, Dany answered, “Well. . . it's different every day, but I always do it at least once. But sometimes, when I'm home alone and bored, like on Sundays. . . I'll just masturbate periodically throughout the day.”

The confession threatened Jon's control. He crawled back onto the bed and hovered over Dany, nose inches from hers. “You have a ravenous little pussy, don't you?”

Dany nodded vigorously, eyes big and lips parted. 

Jon's eyes flickered from her eyes to her mouth contemplatively. She needed stability – she already told him that much. But Jon was worried that holding her sexuality back would do more harm than good. He wanted to nurture her appetite, not to discourage it. 

“How about. . .” Jon began, pressing a light peck to the tip of her nose, “for now, you're allowed to touch yourself whenever you want to when I'm not around. But, every time you do, I want you to text me and tell me that you're doing it, and in exactly what manner, and I want you also to text me immediately before and after you come. Even if I'm busy and can't reply right away, I need to know. Understand?”

Dany nodded. She was horny again, new wetness percolating to mix with the fluids from her earlier orgasm. She didn't want to masturbate tomorrow. She wanted Jon to stay and make her come whenever he saw fit. Dany pouted, and Jon was quick to kiss her bottom lip and tell her once again what a good girl she was before leaving her for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**OCTOBER, 2019**

Ever since beginning her relationship with Jon, Dany has felt, generally, incredible. For the past month, things have been perfect. Jon was perfect, and he made Dany feel perfect to the extent that, whenever Jon looked at her, she truly believed she was perfect. Not flawless, but maybe her flaws could be perfect as well. 

They would grab lunch together some work days and just talk about what they were working on, interesting articles they had red, or funny memes they had stumbled across. They didn't want the office to catch on about their romance, so they kept things professional within the walls of Lannister & Baratheon. In fact, they rarely spoke at work. Just a casual “Good morning” in the kitchen before Jon would swing by Dany's office to see if she was ready to eat. 

For the last four Fridays, Jon would follow Dany home, and by the time he had found parking and came up to her apartment, Dany had taken off her work clothes and changed into a cute pair of panties and one of the shirts Jon left for her to wear, smelling of him. They would spend the evening alone together, watching TV in the living room, Jon teaching Dany how to cook yummy meals, Jon feeding Dany those yummy meals, and Jon carrying her to bed and doing magical things to her to make her come. They would spend the night together, wrapped up in each other, and in the morning, Jon would watch Dany shower, waiting with an open towel to wrap her up in and dry her off. He would help her get dressed, and brush out her hair before taking her out to do fun date things like walking along the beach and seeing a movie. 

When night fell, they would do it all over again, except Jon always left before midnight, saying he needed to spend all day Sunday working from home. And for the last four Sundays, Dany would pepper Jon's workday with texts detailing her various masturbatory sessions. She wouldn't always get texts back, but each night, Jon would call her and tell her how much he loved her texts, and how she was fucking perfect. 

That month had been the happiest month of Dany's life, but she remained unfulfilled. Jon may not have believed it yet, but Dany was ready for his cock. It wasn't fair to her that Jon always made her come, sometimes many times in one night, but she was never permitted to make him come. She eventually realized that she had never even seen Jon's cock. Sure, they had fucked at Berkeley, but she had only felt it, not seen it. Maybe she caught a glimpse the next morning when he was trying to hold her after she puked all over his floor, but she hadn't a memory of it. She longed to see it, to wrap her fingers around it, to wrap her mouth around it, and her pussy. She longed to get to know it the same way Jon was getting to know her most intimate parts. Dany feared that Jon didn't trust her, that it had nothing to do with what Dany needed. 

Indeed, Jon did have trust issues. He had trouble trusting himself. While Dany feared not being able to please Jon sexually, Jon feared that if Dany were to pleasure him in such a way, he would do something in the midst of his climax which would undermine all the progress he had made with Dany. But he was getting there. All these weeks spent denying himself while he gave Dany everything was slowly but surely training his body to stay in control, even at his most heightened arousal. 

Come the end of October, it had been five weeks since their first evening together, and Jon decided to take the risk and reward his Daisy for being so incredible for so long. He went to her office Friday night when most everyone else had gone home. Dany's face lit up as soon as he appeared in her threshold. In just ten more minutes, she would be finished with what she was working on, and then she could focus on being a good girl for Jon. She was already wet. 

“I'll be finished soon,” she told him. 

Jon came to sit upon the edge of her desk, looking down at her. “We aren't going to your apartment tonight.”

Dany's expression twisted with disappointment. “Why not?”

“Because, we're going somewhere else,” Jon replied with a sneaky smile. “It's a surprise. But we'll be there all weekend.”

Eyebrows raising, Dany asked, “Should I pack?”

Jon shook his head, joyful that Dany's only concern with spending the weekend with him was if she should bring a change of clothes. “I've got everything covered.”

She smiled. “Does this mean you don't have to work on Sunday?”

“I'm taking the day off to spend with my Daisy,” he replied, leaning down and giving her a kiss. It was the first time he ever kissed Dany at work, but with nearly all the offices already dark for the weekend, Jon decided to take a risk, and Dany did not protest. “You can leave your car here. I'll drive you to work Monday morning.”

Dany was so giddy about what Jon had planned it ended up taking her twenty minutes to finish her work. But once it was done, she met Jon at the elevators with a bright smile on her face. 

* * * * *

They went to The Claremont, a ritzy hotel in Venice Beach. Jon gave his car keys to the valet, then took Dany's hand and lead her inside the lavish, lobby of red velvet carpet and crystal chandeliers. Dany was big-eyed as Jon brought her to the five-star hotel restaurant and gave the maitre d' his reservation information. They were immediately taken to a two-top draped in white linen with a real candle floating in an oval glass of water in the very center. 

They didn't have time to breathe before a server popped up to their table, asking them what they would like to drink. Jon ordered them both a glass of Merlot. 

“You're letting me drink?” Dany asked once the server had gone. 

“It's just one glass,” Jon said, “and it's a special occasion.” 

“It is?” Dany grew nervous, thinking she had forgotten something. Was a five week anniversary a thing? Or had it been six weeks? She cursed herself for not remembering the exact date they began this whole thing. How could she not remember something so important?

“Hey.” Jon softly interrupted Dany's minor anxiety attack to tell her of the day's importance, not at all expecting her to remember it herself. “Eleven years ago today, I found you on a bathroom floor--”

Dany laughed, ducking her head down and pressing her hand to her chest. She laughed, but she didn't find it funny so much as she found it incredulous that Jon remembered the exact date that he witnessed Dany puking into a girls' room toilet at their old prep school. “That was today?”

“Yup.”

“I can't believe it's been eleven years. That's so crazy. I feel old.”

Jon chuckled. “Twenty-six is not old.”

“So. . .” Dany smiled, “this is sort of like our eleven year anniversary?” 

“It's the eleven year anniversary of the day Daenerys Targaryen became a part of my life,” Jon replied. “But, that isn't the main reason why today, and this weekend, is special.”

“Oh?”

“It's special because you've been so amazing, and I want to show you that I appreciate you and all the work you've put into us this last month and a half.”

Dany's heart sang. She instinctively leaned forward and stretched her arm across the table, hand taking Jon's and squeezing it. “I appreciate you, too, Jon. I mean it.”

They shared a moment before the server reappeared, pouring them each a glass of red wine. He also filled their water glasses before asking if they knew what they would like to order. Having looked over the menu online before hand, Jon already knew what to request. He ordered for the both of them, then the server departed. 

* * * * *

After Jon paid their bill, Jon took Dany's hand and led her to the elevators. 

“Are we staying here this weekend?” Dany asked. When Jon nodded, her eyes widened. “Jon, you didn't have to do all of this.”

“I wanted to,” he replied as the elevator doors opened for them. 

Their suite was on the fifteenth floor. Large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the ocean. There was a sitting area with a sofa and TV. There was a small dining table to the side of it, and on the opposite side of the room was a King size bed, covered in a pillowy comforter. A pocket door opened to a large bathroom, equipped with a large tub and a separate walk-in shower. 

“This is amazing,” Dany said. “Jon, you really didn't have to do all of this. This must have been so expensive.”

“Well,” Jon began, coming to Dany and wrapping his arms around her waist, “you see, I got this new job, so I've got a little extra spending money nowadays.”

“Still,” Dany said. “I don't want to grow spoiled.”

“Too late.” Jon kissed her lips. “It is my destiny to spoil you.”

Dany chuckled and watched as Jon went to the closet and retrieved his carry-on bag as well as a large department store bag. From his carry-on, he retrieved one of his thin white t-shirts and put it on the bed. From the department store bag, he retrieved a a thin, square white box and set it beside the shirt. 

“Come here,” he told Dany, and she stepped close to him. 

Jon removed her purse from her shoulder, then stooped to remove both of her black heels. He put all three items away in the closet, then stepped behind Dany to disrobe her completely. It was a slow process. Each item he removed from her was immediately hung in the closet so it would not wrinkle. First her sweater, then her blouse, then her skirt. She wore a nude bra and lace panties. Jon took both items off of her and put them away in the closet as well. 

There was something so erotic to Dany about standing stark naked in a heavily air conditioned room, pussy wet and nipples firm, while Jon was completely clothed. He came back to the bed and lifted the lid of the white box. Inside, resting upon a bed of tissue paper, was a sheer, black g-string. 

Dany gulped, pussy watering at the sight of Jon lifting the scrap of fabric in his fingers and leaning down to help Dany step into them. She did. One foot, then the other, and Jon slowly pulled the thong up the expanse of her legs until the small triangle of transparent fabric cradled her pussy before nestling between her butt cheeks. 

“Gorgeous,” Jon uttered, staring at her pussy through the porous material, the silver of her pubic hair shimmering through the black. He stood and reached for the shirt. Dany raised her arms above her head, and Jon fitted the shirt over her torso. “Perfect,” he said, trailing the back of his fingers down the slope of her breast until he lightly captured a pebbled nipple between two of them.

“Can I ask you a question?” Dany quietly asked. 

“Yes,” Jon answered, looking into her eyes. “Actually, for tonight, the rules are optional. Tonight is special. It's for you. I'm still in control, but no punishments.” 

Dany smiled. She quite enjoyed Jon's threats of punishment, but she would take Jon's gift for what it was, a sign that Jon really did trust her. She would prove him right. She would still be a good girl, even if the rules were not mandatory. 

“Are you my boyfriend?” Dany asked, feeling ridiculous the second the sentence left her mouth. She was twenty-six after all. She shouldn't be getting flustered over the prospect of having a boyfriend. Besides, was what they had not special enough that she demanded a label for it? Perhaps Dany was spoiled. 

“Yes,” Jon replied succinctly, earnestly. “I am your boyfriend, Dany, and you're my girlfriend.”

Dany inwardly jumped for joy. Eleven years and she would finally get to call Jon her boyfriend. She would finally get to be called Jon's girlfriend. That meant they were in a relationship. A real relationship. Not one of those sex-relationships that are all the rage these days with other millennials. Jon wasn't just her fuck buddy. She wasn't just Jon's sex toy. They were really in this together. Not just the sex, but the whole thing. 

“Does that make you happy?” Jon asked. 

“Very happy,” she enthused before eagerly accepting the kiss Jon pressed to her lips. 

For years, Dany had thought that the only way she could be in a genuine relationship would be if she kept hidden her sexual desires to be dominated and controlled. She always thought that if she did find a man who could give her what she wanted sexually, he wouldn't be the sort of person she could actually be involved with romantically. But Jon. . . he gave her everything. He gave her butterflies in her belly whenever he smiled at her, and he made her come harder than she ever could by herself or with another. He made her feel delicate and strong all at once, precious and devilish. He gave her soft kisses on her lips and bitter smacks on her butt. He told her she was a good girl for enjoying her bad side. Only Jon Snow could so intricately weave together Dany's heart and her lust until they were one in the same. 

“Jon. . .” Dany began nervously, arms curled inside Jon's sport jacket to hug his middle. “I'm not begging. I just. . . I really do feel like I'm ready. I won't run away again. I won't freak out. I know what I want now – what I need. It's you. You can fuck me, Jon. You don't have to worry.”

The corners of Jon's mouth lifted, and he pressed a kiss to Dany's forehead. “I'm not going to fuck you.”

Dany turned her head down, defeated. _So much for a special night._ God. . . And now she was complaining? Dany cursed herself for being such a spoiled brat.

“Hey.” Jon lifted his thumb to her chin and tilted her head back up so he could see into her ocean eyes. “I'm not going to _fuck_ you, but we are going to have sex.”

Dany raised a pale eyebrow. “Like, more foreplay?”

“Oh, there will be lots of foreplay,” Jon said with a smirk, “but when that's all over, I'm going to lie you down beneath me, and I'm going to make love to you the way I should have in Berkeley. How does that sound?”

A grin slowly formed upon Dany's face. “So you're going to put your dick inside me?”

Jon snorted, delightfully surprised by Dany's foul mouth. “Yes,” he assured. 

“Will I get to play with it, too?” Dany asked gleefully, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. 

“How would you like to play with it, baby?”

“Hmm.” Dany pondered for a moment. “I want to touch it, lick it, suck on it, get it all wet with my spit just before you put it inside me.”

It was Jon's turn to ponder. His cock was pulsing from Dany's words, growing rigid in his pants. Maybe this was what Dany needed tonight. Maybe if she was able to explore Jon's body freely, and at her own pace, she would further understand that they were not so different, that Jon needed this relationship as much as she did. 

“Okay,” he said. “You can play with me however you want tonight. But if I think you're trying to do something you aren't ready for, I'm going to stop you. Understand?”

Dany nodded excitedly, hugging Jon tightly and pressing her cheek to his shoulder. 

“But,” Jon began, “we can't do any playing until that wine is out of your system, so let's watch a movie.”

Dany groaned, pulling away. “If I had known that, I wouldn't have drank the wine.”

Jon chuckled, took her hand and led her to the sofa. “We have all weekend, baby. We don't want to burn out on the first night.”

“Burn out on sex with you? Impossible.” But Dany relented, sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her butt. 

Jon found the remote and clicked to the movie rentals channel. “What do you think? Comedy?”

“Something scary.”

Jon eyed her. “Do you love scary movies, or do you just love watching me get scared at scary movies?”

She smirked. “I like it when you bury your face between my tits.”

“You are so adorable.” Jon clicked to the horror section and picked one that looked sort of tame. After hitting play, Jon found an extra blanket in the closet and dimmed the lights. He draped the blanket across Dany's lap, then kicked off his shoes, removed his jacket and tie, and sat down beside Dany. She immediately snuggled to his side, throwing half of the blanket over his own lap. 

By the time the credits rolled, Dany was on her back, stroking Jon's hair as his cheek rested upon her belly, and Jon rubbed soft circles against the side of her hip, bare save for the thin band of her thong.

"That was too scary," Jon said. "You're going to have nightmares."

Dany giggled. "You're the scardie-cat. Not me."

Jon leaned up on his elbows and cast his gaze up at her. "I'm not scared of anything," he stated.

"Don't worry." Dany continued to stroke his hair. "I'll protect you from the bad dreams."

Jon smirked softly and crawled up Dany's body til their noses were nearly touching. "I'm the one who's supposed to protect you, little missy."

Dany quickly kissed the tip of his nose. "I can protect you, too."

They shared a kiss -- not a gentle peck this time, but a slow, sensual, wet kiss. When they parted, Dany whispered, "Are we going to play now?"

"Yes, baby." He pecked her lips. "We're going to play now."

"I like it when you call me baby."

Jon stood before scooping Dany up into his arms. He carried her to the large bed, climbing onto it and crawling on his knees to the center before resting Dany down.

She watched as Jon removed his shirt, and then his under shirt, revealing his smooth, toned torso. Dany reached out to glide her fingers down his rippled abdominal muscles while Jon unfastened his slacks.

"Is there anything you want me to call you?" Dany asked. "I never asked you that."

Smiling, Jon responded while shimmying out of his pants. "Like what? Master? Sir? Daddy?"

"Sure."

Jon peeled off his socks, then tossed his clothing off the side of the bed. Now only in his black boxer briefs, Jon rolled onto his side beside Dany, propped up on an elbow. "Do you need to call me something special when we're having sex?"

"No. But if you wanted me to, I would," Dany replied, also turning onto her side. She slid her leg against Jon's, feeling his soft thin hairs tickle her shaved flesh. "Sometimes, though, I kind of want to call you honey."

"Honey?"

"Yeah." Dany blushed. "Like how old married couples call each other honey."

Jon chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "How about you just call me Jon, but if you ever want to, you can call me honey."

Dany expressed her agreement by reconnecting their mouths. They breathed hotly into one another as their tongues commingled among the heat. Jon's hand was back on her hip, gliding up her side, beneath the t-shirt he gifted her.

"I want to look at you," Dany whispered, eyes big and hopefully. She was asking Jon for permission. Such a good girl.

After a moment, Jon said, "Okay." He turned onto his back and removed his underwear, tossing it where he had tossed his other clothes.

He lied flat, completely exposed to Dany's vision now. His cock was half erect and rested across his abdomen. Dany sat up on her knees to face Jon. She placed a tentative hand upon his thigh, then flitted her eyes up to Jon's face. "Can I touch it?" she asked, the question causing his cock to twitch and fill with more blood.

"Yes," Jon allowed.

Dany's hand slid up Jon's thigh slowly until her palm grazed Jon's balls, soft with black hairs. She wrapped her fingers around Jon's manhood and lifted it in a loose grip. She felt it grow as she gently tugged his foreskin down, revealing a plump mushroom head. Dany had given men handjobs before. Well, two men, a few times each. But all those times it was mostly because they had shoved her hand into their pants, and Dany was just glad that she could make them come without having to reveal her body to them. With Jon, though. . . Dany didn't touch him with the intention of getting him off quickly. She touched him to learn how he felt in her hand, his weight, his thickness, the texture of his skin. She touched him to get to know him better, to discover a new part of him, to adore another part of him. She wanted to worship this odd looking organ, because it was one of the driving factors in Dany's happiness. If not for Jon's cock, Dany would not have made such a powerful connection with him sexually, which was equal parts as important as their romantic connection. His head, his heart, and his cock. The holy trinity.

She stroked him slowly up and down, then swiped her thumb over the head, collecting a bead of natural lubricant on her thumb and smoothing it over the head to make it slick. Jon sighed softly from the pleasure, watching Dany's ministrations intently. She curled her palm over the head and used the slickness to moisten her hand so she could stroke him easier.

"Good girl," Jon breathed. She was either really experienced with handjobs, or she was really putting in the effort to nurture his erection, and Jon assumed the latter with pride.

Dany jerked him slowly for a full minute, eyes glued to his cock, her bottom lip between her teeth. Jon slid his palm around her thigh to rest on her butt cheek, his finger tips grazing the thin band of material fitting along her crack.

A pink tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip, and Dany asked, "Can I. . . Can I put it in my mouth?"

"Why don't you kiss it?" Jon asked, suggesting Dany go slow with him. Not a command, for this was Dany's special night, and she could disobey him if she wished.

She didn't. Not once did Dany even consider it. She leaned down, lifting her butt from her heels, and pressed her puckered lips to the very top of Jon's cock. It twitched again in her hand, and she smiled. She gave him more kisses. Kisses all around the head and kisses up and down the full length of his stem. Soft, close-mouth kisses, like the ones Jon would give her for being so good. His skin was so soft and smooth, with a little ridge along the underside where a thick vein kept his cock engorged. She kissed her way up this vein, and when she reached Jon's cockhead, she parted her lips and laved the flat of her tongue over it.

A low moan rumbled through Jon's throat. His hand squeezed gently her round butt cheek. "You're making me feel so good, baby," he hotly spoke.

Dany smiled, cheeks pink from such a lustfully spoken compliment. It gave her more than enough encouragement to inch down and capture Jon's cockhead between her lips and into the warmth of her mouth. She swept her tongue around the salty flesh as she inched farther down.

Moaning again at the sensation, Jon used his free hand to scoop Dany's long hair up and push it all over her neck to keep her profile free for his viewing. God. . . the sight of her taking his cock down her throat was almost as enrapturing as the feeling Jon got from the action.

"Fuck," he muttered. "I'm not going to last long, baby. You're too fucking hot."

That was fine with Dany. She recalled the first night Jon spent at her apartment, where he had satiated her starving cunt with three incredible orgasms. Dany knew men were different from women, but she wondered still how many times she could make him come before they fell asleep from exhaustion.

Dany kept her hand gently fisted around the base of Jon's cock while she bobbed her mouth up and down over the rest, her lips coming to meet her fist with every down motion. The tip of Jon's cock hit the back of her throat in a rhythmic beat and Dany tried her best not to gag. When she did, though, Jon would groan instinctively, loving the sound and feel of her throat involuntarily contracting around him.

Jon's fingers sought out the triangle of damp fabric concealing Dany's pussy, and after Dany spread her knees, Jon soon found her clit and started to massage it in quick circles underneath the pad of his middle finger. She whimpered with pleasure around Jon's cock as she slathered it with her saliva.

"I'm so close," Jon growled, jaw tight and muscles flexing from the build up. "Fuck, I'm gonna come, Daisy."

Dany never ceased her ministrations, and Jon never ceased his. Even as he grunted with euphoria, expelling his seed in quick bursts down Dany's throat, he never ceased fingering Dany's clit. Dany's body quivered, hips wiggling slightly against his hand, and just as she was choking down Jon's semen, she felt her orgasm hit her like an electric shock.

Quickly, Dany pulled off Jon's cock and let out a high-pitched moan, a dribble of white come dripping down her chin and onto Jon's leaking cock. Dany planted her hands on the mattress on the other side of Jon's hip, and rode out her orgasm on her hands and knees over Jon's lap. For a full minute, Dany's body was as rigid as the little swollen clitoris Jon strummed with his finger, her belly flexing and her limbs quaking.

"Fuuuuuck," she groaned, eyes watering. She soon couldn't take any more and buried her face against Jon's thigh, hips jerking and mouth gasping with each stroke Jon gave to her aching clit. "God, please, please," she whimpered, begging Jon for reprieve.

Jon smirked at his Daisy. He knew she wouldn't be able to follow the rules for long, and he was glad. She deserved this. He slowed his movements, petting her clit gingerly until her body relaxed. He sat up and brought Dany into his arms, holding tight her shivering form.

"It's okay," Jon whispered into her hair before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "That was amazing, Dany. You are amazing. I have never come that fast from a blowjob."

After a few moments to catch her breath, Dany tilted her head up and asked, "Really?"

"Really," Jon assured, kissing her lips gently. He lifted his thumb to her chin and cleaned it of his semen. "You didn't have to swallow it, though."

"I wanted to."

Jon smiled and kissed her lips again. "Did you like it?"

She nodded, a tinkle in her eye. "Though I didn't get to savor it since you decided to make _me_ come while I was sucking your dick."

Chuckling, Jon said, "You're welcome."

Dany shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows to feign frustration. "I'm going to get you back for that, honey."

"Oh yeah?" Jon smirked. "If you start being naughty, I might have to punish you after all."

Dany moaned from the threat and pressed her mouth to Jon's in a hungry kiss, quickly sliding her tongue inside his warm cavern. They made out for a short while before Jon pulled Dany away. "It's going to take a little bit for me to be able to go again. Why don't I order us up some dessert."

Smiling brightly at the concept of dessert, Dany nodded in agreement.

* * * * *

Jon had put on pants for as long as it took to answer the door for room service. As soon as he set the tray topped with a warm, moist chocolate lava cake on the bed before Dany, Jon quickly rid himself of the fabric until he was naked once more. He was pleased to find that Dany made no move to lift one of the two spoons set upon the tray. She sat with her legs folded pretzel-style before her, waiting patiently for Jon to climb back onto the bed and feed her. 

Jon dug the spoon into the cake and gave Dany the first bite. She moaned as she chewed, eyes fluttering from the silky texture. 

“Is it good?” Jon asked. 

“Delicious,” Dany answered before swallowing. 

Jon scooped out another spoonful. “Better than me?” he asked before sliding the spoon into his own mouth and tasting the dessert for himself. 

“Hmm,” she pondered with a cheeky smile. “It's a close call.”

Jon chewed and swallowed. “Well, this sure is delicious, but it's got nothing on your pussy.”

Giddy from such a crude compliment, Dany leaned in and kissed Jon, quickly sweeping her tongue against his and tasting more chocolate. Until the cake was finished, Jon fed one bite to Dany, pressed a kiss to her lips before she swallowed, then spooned a bite into his own mouth. He set the empty tray on the dining table, then went to the bathroom sink and filled a glass of water. He handed the glass to Dany, who remained on the bed, and she drank half. Jon drank the rest, then set the glass on the table beside the tray. Finally, Jon asked Dany, “Are you ready?”

Smiling happily, Dany nodded, bouncing softly on her butt. 

Jon crawled onto the bed, and Dany immediately lied flat on her back so that Jon could hover above her. “Are you sure?” he pointedly asked. 

Dany reached a hand up to cradle Jon's flaccid cock. She massaged the soft, wrinkled skin with her thumb gently, feeling it immediately stiffen in her grasp. “Yes,” she breathed. 

“Is your pussy ready for my cock?” Jon asked hotly, leaning down to just barely graze his lips against hers. 

“Yes,” Dany breathed again, eyes half-lidded. 

Jon was already half-erect, and growing firmer with ever languid stroke Dany gave. “I'm going to be very gentle, baby,” he said. 

A soft sigh left Dany's mouth. “You don't have to be.”

“I do,” Jon replied before pressing his parted lips to hers, but just as Dany touched her tongue to his, he pulled away. Sitting up on his knees, Jon told Dany to sit up as well. When she did, Jon pulled the t-shirt up and off her body, tossing it across the room. Dany lied back down, now only in the little see-through thong Jon gifted her for this special evening. 

Jon lifted Dany's legs until her toes pointed toward the ceiling, then hooked his fingers in the waist band of the thong and gently tugged it off her butt, sliding it upward and off her legs. He tossed the skimpy material, soaking in Dany's come, to the floor with the discarded t-shirt, then lowered her legs, one on either side of him, knees bent slightly. 

A lustful sigh escaped Jon's throat as he gazed upon his Daisy's nakedness, her skin so fair and supple, so blemish free and utterly divine. She looked like French vanilla ice cream, and Jon wanted to lick her all up. But there would be time to taste her later. Now. . . now he would make love to her. 

His cock was now fully erect and hanging heavy between his thighs. He rested a palm on Dany's pelvis and stroked his thumb across her trimmed thatch of pubic hair. 

“Jon?” Dany asked quietly. 

Eyes shifting to meet Dany's pools of blue, Jon spoke, “Yes, Daisy?”

“Will you come inside me?”

The corners of his mouth twitched a smile. “Would you like that?”

She nodded as a fingernail slid between her teeth. Jon crawled over her and rested between her legs, his cock draping down to cradle Dany's pussy – she could feel the head graze her anus and she shivered. Jon curled his arms under her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Are you nervous?” he asked. 

“No,” she murmured, shivering still.

He move his fingers through her hair. “Cold?”

“No. Just. . . excited.”

Jon kissed her again, deep this time, but still so slow. He reached his arm between them and shifted his hips. He took hold of his cock and stroked it a few times before pressing the head to Dany's pussy. He found her entrance easily. It was a pool of come and new arousal. He pressed more, and more, until her channel sucked his cockhead inside. 

Dany gasped into Jon's mouth, thighs tensing. 

“Are you okay?” Jon asked, pausing his movements with just an inch of himself nestled within her warm cavern. 

“God, yes,” Dany replied, spreading her knees out to give Jon as much access as possible. 

Jon's face flashed a smirk before he reconnected their mouths. He pushed deeper inside her, feeling her walls pulse against his cock. He went slow, inch by inch. He treated Dany like she was a virgin, like this was the first time anyone had ever filled her; because, in a sense, she was a virgin and he was, too. A virgin to this brand new lifestyle they were committing to together for as long as they both could stand it, and Jon was hoping that, like himself, Dany could stand it forever. He would make love to her the way he should have four and a half years ago, eclipsing that memory with this one. Their second first time. 

Jon didn't care that Dany had fucked other men before Jon realized what she needed, and that he could give it to her. Dany didn't care that Jon had been with other women before she accepted who she was. Those people didn't matter now. Those encounters didn't matter. They were together now, and neither Jon nor Dany were going to let trivial matters like sexual history get in the way. 

When Jon bottomed out inside Dany, he was thankful for the orgasm he had an hour earlier. It would allow him to last longer despite how enchanting Dany felt around his cock. He remembered every detail of the night they first hooked up, but even that was nothing compared to feeling Dany without the latex barrier of a condom in the way. 

“OhmyGod,” Dany moaned, eyes pleading with Jon to fuck her. 

With a palm cradling the side of Dany's head, Jon stared into her round eyes and murmured, “You feel so fucking hot.”

“You feel so fucking big,” Dany growled, nipping his bottom lip. 

Jon chuckled, slid half way out of her pussy, then slowly drove back in to the hilt. “Are you trying to sweet talk me, Daisy?”

Dany whimpered when Jon slid out then in again at an agonizing pace. He gave her just enough to let her feel a taste of ecstasy, like only being able to take in half a breath of air. “Harder, Jon. Please,” she whined, reaching down to squeeze Jon's butt cheek. “Fuck me harder.” 

Jon hissed when her nails dug harshly into his flesh. 

“You're being naughty,” Jon warned. And her naughtiness was threatening his control. Needing to catch his breath and remind his body not to fall victim to his and Dany's most primal desires, Jon pulled out of Dany's tight, wet channel and moved off of her. 

Dany gasped from the loss of contact and quickly sat up. “Jon?”

Jon turned his back to Dany so she wouldn't see how fucking difficult it was just to be a few feet away from her at that moment. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at his cock, glistening with her fluids. A bead of his own collected at the tip. _Harder._ God, he wanted nothing more than to oblige.

_Control._

Watching Jon's back, Dany suddenly felt cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and picked her knees up to touch her chest. “Jon,” she whined sadly. “I'm sorry. I won't be naughty anymore. You can punish me, just please don't ignore me.”

Jon immediately turned to look his Daisy over. She hadn't covered her body from him in weeks, even when she was truly cold. Jon hadn't meant to ignore her. It had only been half a minute, but he supposed that was enough. He crawled back to her and took her into his arms, holding her tight to his chest and kissing softly her head. 

“I'm not ignoring you, baby,” he murmured against her hair. “I just needed to catch my breath, because it riles me up so much when you're naughty.”

“I'm sorry.”

“I forgive you.” Jon pried Dany from his chest and took her face into his hands. “Are you going to let me give you what you need? If not, we can just spend the rest of the night cuddling and watching TV.”

“No,” Dany whimpered, as much as she loved cuddling and watching TV with Jon. “Please, give me what I need, Jon. I'll be good.”

Jon smiled and pressed a kiss to Dany's lips. “Good girl,” he called her. “Now stop shielding your body from me. If you're cold, I'll warm you up, but don't hide yourself from me.”

Dany nodded and slowly uncurled herself from her ball. Jon helped her to lie flat, then gave her another kiss. He positioned himself between her legs once more and guided his cock back into Dany's depths. “Give me your hands,” he gently commanded. Jon laced their fingers together, holding tight, and pressed her hands into the mattress just as he had done a minute earlier. 

“You're not naughty at all, are you?” Jon asked soothingly as he began to gyrate his hips slowly. “You're just hungry. My little hungry girl is just dying to be filled up.”

“Yes,” Dany softly moaned, feeling the slow drag of Jon's cock as it caressed her inner walls. 

“I'm going to fill you up,” Jon promised. “And I will make you come. . . if you trust me.”

Dany nodded, chest heaving as her body grew accustomed to this new intrusion. She did trust Jon, but still. With Jon's hands keeping them both from touching Dany's clit, she feared reaching orgasm was impossible for her. She had never had an orgasm from penetration alone. And even if her body was secretly capable of such a thing, it couldn't be possible that such languid movements would create such a climax. 

However, as Jon moved so deliberately within her, he seemed to find a part of her that other's, including Jon himself, had previously overlooked in their haste. It was like inflating a balloon. Each slow pump inward filled the balloon with one more breath of air. After enough pumps, the balloon filled so full that it simply. . . _popped._

Dany screamed. It took five minutes of steady pumps, but Jon finally found her g-spot, his cock grinding against it now with each new thrust. Dany squeezed his hands so hard, Jon thought she would break a finger, and her body bucked and writhed beneath his weight, but Jon focused and kept his rhythm. 

“Good girl, baby. Good girl,” Jon murmured softly into Dany's ear as she rode through the pinnacle of a powerful climax. 

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” Dany chanted through high pitched squeals as her body shivered violently. 

The fluids her pussy produced made sliding in and out of her easier for Jon, so he decided to kick things up a notch. Maybe he could still fuck her hard while maintaining his control. Maybe she was ready for it. Maybe he was, too. As soon as Dany's orgasm began to subside, Jon increased his speed, keeping the same angle. 

“OhmyGod, Jon,” Dany whimpered, her legs shaking and her face contorted in something like fear.

“Keep coming for me, Daisy girl,” Jon cooed, but Dany's eyes were already rolling, the back of her head digging into the mattress as her back arched. 

“Fuck!” Her scream soon morphed into a low, drawn out groan as her body convulsed. Her hips bucked wildly under Jon's weight, and he dug in deeper, hitting her now with quick even beats, his pelvis slapping against hers. 

“Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck! OhmyGod, fuck!” Dany shouted, pushing back on Jon's hands with all her might. She didn't know what to do. She was both terrified and fucking delirious with joy. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't make real tangible sentences. The only word she seemed capable of speaking was “fuck.” Eventually, she just started screaming. 

Jon had to let go of one of her hands to clamp it over her mouth less they get a visit from management about a noise complaint. “It sounded like you were murdering a woman in here,” they would say. No. . . just giving her the greatest orgasmic experience of her life. 

With a hand now free, Dany slapped it against Jon's ass and sunk her nails into his flesh like she had done before promising not to be naughty anymore. But she wasn't doing it to be naughty. She did it because she didn't know what else to do. As her body spasmed through a third orgasm just moments after the second one plateaued, Dany thought she might literally have a heart attack. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She screamed into Jon's palm, writhed against his cock still pounding away at her g-spot, and when Jon finally pumped her channel full of his seed, all the pressure behind Dany's eyes erupted, and she wept. 

Jon gave a few last thrusts, emptying himself deep inside Dany before collapsing in a sweaty heap atop her. He wrapped his arms around her immediately and turned them onto their sides. She shook hard, like an electrical current was rippling through her continuously, and she sobbed against Jon's chest.

"Shhhh." Jon rubbed his palms up and down Dany's dewy back. With all of Dany's movements, Jon's cock soon slipped from her pussy, now leaking semen onto the comforter. "You're okay, baby girl. You're okay. Shhhh."

Her throat made a strangled sound, groaning syllables but never forming true words. She soon ceased choking out sobs against Jon's hard chest, but the tears kept dribbling down her cheek. After a couple minutes of heavy breathing and listening to Jon's coos in her ear, Dany finally relaxed enough to speak, though the words came out in a shudder as she continued to shiver.

"W--what did y--you do to me?" she asked.

In truth, Jon had no idea that was going to happen. Sure, he always tried his best to please the women he was with, and he certainly put his best effort forth with Dany, but Jon had never made a woman come solely from vaginal stimulation, and the fact that Dany had experienced three consecutive orgasms, one right after the other, boggled his mind in the best of ways. He had been planning on fucking her slowly until he was ready to come, then he would pick up speed and tad and finger Dany's clit until they hopefully came together. But this was something else. This was magic.

"I told you I would make you come, Daisy," Jon softly said, pressing kisses to the top of her head. "And you did so good. I'm so proud of you."

Dany whimpered and nuzzled herself closer to Jon where she felt safest. Her arms were tucked between them and her legs laced with his. She wanted him all around her, consuming her, absorbing her until all she felt was him.

"You were so incredible, baby girl," Jon whispered. "I'm so in awe of you."

Dany finally looked up, craning her head to peer into Jon's warm eyes. "That was. . . I had never. . . I don't know. . ."

"It's okay," Jon assured, kissing her forehead softly. "That was just your body enjoying itself. It's natural, and it was so fucking beautiful."

"No," she whimpered. "I probably looked hideous."

Adamantly, Jon insisted, "My baby girl is not hideous." _She is my everything._ "She is gorgeous. And what her body just did while I made love to her warm pussy was the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen in my life."

Dany swallow. "You really think so?"

"Yes."

Dany chewed her bottom lip, mulling it over. "I've never felt that good in my life," she admitted.

Jon smiled. "So you enjoyed it?"

Dany's tears turned to giggles. "God, yes," she breathed.

As soon as Dany's body was limp from exhaustion, Jon scooped her up and situated her naked form under the covers of the King size bed. Jon turned out the lights, then slid in next to Dany in bed and quickly snuggled her back into his arms.

Before they drifted off the sleep, Dany softly whispered, "I was so lost without you."

"Me too, Daisy," Jon replied, then pressed a sleepy kiss to her lips. "But we don't ever have to be lost again."

* * * * *

In the early morning hours, when the slightest bit of sunlight was peaking over the horizon to cast the hotel suite in a faint blue through the large windows, Jon was stirred awake by the feel of something stimulating his already erect cock. His eyes blinked heavy with sleep, gauging his immediate state. Still under the plush bed covers, Jon was pressed against Dany's back, an arm slung over her waist. Soft, slow breaths left Dany's mouth, and her chest rose and fell evenly. She was asleep, and in her slumber, she was gyrating her hips ever so softly, wiggling her butt just enough to tantalize Jon's cock to stiffen.

A low, quiet moan reverberated through Jon's throat as he curled his arm tighter around Dany, holding her firm. He cupped his palm over her breast and began tickling her areola with a fingertip until the nipple hardened.

Dany stirred, humming a few soft pleasured sounds. Her thighs ground together and her body shivered.

"Daisy," Jon whispered, voice gruff from sleep. "Wake up, Daisy girl."

A gentle, sleepy moan was Dany's response.

Jon pressed his lips to her neck and kissed her flesh. He trailed his hand down from Dany's breast to her pubis, caressing her mound. "Open up for me," he whispered.

Slowly, Dany separated her knees, lifting one up and creating a tent with the covers. Jon's hand inched lower until his fingers slid against her wetness.

A low groan left Dany's mouth and she rocked her hips against Jon's hand, providing more stimulation to his cock, pressed firm between his abdomen and her butt. Jon stroked her clit through her pool of gooey wetness, then shifted his own hips until his cock was free and aimed at Dany's pussy.

Dany whimpered as Jon's cock pressed through her warm sex, digging deep until she was filled completely. The memory of last night's orgasmic bliss had kept Dany so horny in the hours while she slept, that as soon as Jon was moving inside of her while rubbing her throbbing clit, Dany reached climax.

"Don't forget the rules," Jon breathed against her ear. "No speaking."

Dany turned her head and pressed her face into the mattress, moaning deeply into the fabric while her body tensed and quaked. Her hips bucked between Jon's hand and his cock, but Jon was strong and kept firm hold of her. When she began squealing from her throat and flinching from Jon's hand, he slid his palm back up to Dany's breast, giving her over-sensitive clit a break. But he kept his cock moving, fucking her in slow, even pumps.

In Jon's arms, Dany's whole body shivered from her orgasm, and she whimpered with every new motion Jon made inside her. He knew that if he couldn't find her sweet spot again, he would have to pull out and let her rest. But only moments later, Dany gasped so sharply she nearly choked on her breath. Jon panicked for a moment, thinking he had hurt her somehow, but she quickly exhaled a drawn out moan, her body spasming and convulsing anew. A hand reached back to clutch Jon's hip as he picked up speed. Her thighs sealed together and her butt ground against Jon's cock while she rode out her orgasm. The tensing of her thighs created a tight pressure on Jon's cock that quickly pushed him over the edge, but rather than taper off, Jon thrust into Dany's pussy rapidly while his seed expelled deep inside her.

Dany screamed incoherently, slapping her hand over her own mouth to keep quiet. She was trapped in a flood of ecstasy that just would not cease until Jon finally gave his final thrust, growling in her ear as his cock emptied. This time, Dany did not cry, but she laughed, giggling into her hand as Jon held her tight and told her what a good girl she was. When the giggles ceased and her orgasm was finally all over, Dany drifted into another deep sleep, still shivering softly in Jon's warm arms.

* * * * *

Dany awoke a few hours later with an aching pressure in her abdomen. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found the suite was now filled with warm late-morning sun. She turned over to see Jon was still fast asleep, lying flat on his belly, cheek rested on the pillow. He was beautiful, Dany decided. And he was all hers. She rested a hand on the back of his head and stroked his hair.

"Jon," she whispered, then pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Jon." She gave him little kisses until his eyes finally blinked open.

"Hmm?" he asked groggily, reaching out instinctively to cuddle Dany close to him.

"I have to pee, Jon," Dany whispered. "Can I go on my own, or do you want to help me?"

A lazy smile appeared on Jon's face as his eyes fluttered shut. "You can go, baby, but hurry back. Thank you for asking."

After giving Jon another kiss, Dany slid off the bed and padded into the bathroom. She didn't bother shutting the door while she took care of business.

Jon kept sleep at bay until Dany was back in bed and snuggling into his arms. He was so proud of her, and he would have to remember to tell her that many times when they finally managed to pry themselves from bed. Jon had never demanded Dany ask permission to go to the bathroom alone. She just started doing it on her own, and every time she did, Jon felt so grateful to have his Daisy in his life.

Jon had made plans to take Dany out for walks and for lunches while they were in Venice, but they ended up staying in the hotel suite all weekend, fucking gently (for the most part), watching movies, ordering room service, showering together and fucking some more. Jon fucked Dany's pussy until it grew accustomed to Jon's shape and size to the point that Dany felt she was missing something whenever Jon wasn't inside her. Sometimes, when they were cuddled on the sofa, Dany would stroke Jon to full mast and sink down on him, just so she could feel full while they finished a movie.

Jon had not anticipated fucking Dany so thoroughly that weekend, but he was glad it happened. It brought them closer, and Dany trusted him so much more now.

They checked out early Monday morning, and Jon drove Dany to her apartment to change into fresh work clothes before they both went to the office, happy and rejuvenated from their three night sex-cation and content to enter back into the real word as, officially, boyfriend and girlfriend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the prolonged delay! Finals week had me in a frenzy, but I am officially on break, so updates should go back to being pretty quick and regular (:

**OCTOBER, 2019**

On Wednesdays, Jon would leave work at one o'clock, but this Wednesday, Jon took Dany out for lunch first to that same cafe they went to on Jon's first day at Lannister & Baratheon. Dany enjoyed having lunch with Jon just like she enjoyed doing everything else with Jon. She liked how he took control of every situation they were in so that she never had to worry about anything. He would hold her hand while they walked, guiding her. He would decide which street they crossed and when. He would open every door for her and pull out every chair, deciding where she sat. He would order for her so she never had to speak to the server. If she ever looked at all chilly, Jon would wrap his jacket around her shoulders. 

Though it was walking distance, the Green Leaf Cafe was too pedestrian to ever be visited by their co-workers, so they both felt safe to be intimate with each other there, speaking freely and holding each other's hands across the table. This Wednesday, though, a co-worker did wander in to Green Leaf, and Jon's eye immediately went to the young portly man in a shabby suit and wrinkled tie. 

“Sam!” Jon exclaimed, getting the man's attention. Sam turned, eyes brightening at the sight of Jon. He waved before heading over. 

Dany turned, eyeing this new person up and down as he approached. She had never seen him before. No, this was not one of their co-workers, but still it seemed he was one of Jon's colleagues. 

Jon stood and shook the man's hand casually, like they were friends, but it was hard for Dany to differentiate between Jon's actual friends and people whom he treated like friends, as was the case with most people.

“Haven't seen you around lately,” Sam said to Jon. “You finally quit?”

Jon laughed at that. “Nah, I've been around. Just been working from home for the most part.”

“That's for the best,” said Sam gravely. “You hear about the flood? Entire basement level of the courthouse covered in fecal water.”

“Shit,” Jon hissed, cringing at the thought and being thankful he wasn't around for that. 

“Literally. They've got it all cleaned up now, but. . . the stench lingers.” 

“Yikes.” Jon's eye went to Dany. “Oh, Dany, this is Sam.” He looked to Sam. “Sam, this is Dany, my girlfriend.”

Dany's heart leaped on this the first time Jon had ever introduced her to anyone as his girlfriend. She lifted a smile to Sam and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you. Girlfriend, huh? I didn't know Jon had a girlfriend.”

“It's sort of new,” replied Dany sweetly. “How long have you two been friends?”

“Oh, about a year. We work together. I mean, our desks are right next to each other. Though. . .” Sam looked at Jon with a grimace, “they had to remove all the furniture because of the poop water. Hope you didn't have anything valuable in there.”

“Dammit,” Jon hissed. “My Pop-Tarts.”

Sam snorted. 

Dany raised a confused eyebrow. “Wait, I'm confused. What do you mean your desks were next to each other's?”

“Oh,” Sam began, “well, they don't give us real offices at the courthouse. They just shove us into a converted basement storage space with no windows right down the hall from the holding cells. And sometimes, apparently, it rains poop.” He turned to Jon. “I understand the impulse to work from home, but I just have to get away from the baby, ya know? I love him more than life itself, but ya know. . . not when he's crying all the time. Shit. I should let you both eat. I'm just here picking up a to-go order. But we should hang out, Jon. Please. I need excuses to not be home.”

Jon laughed and gave Sam a pat on the shoulder. They bid each other goodbye, and Jon resumed his seat across from Dany, who looked very perplexed. 

“You work at the courthouse?” she asked. “What does that mean? Are you like, a public defender or something?”

“Yeah,” Jon replied easily. “You didn't know that?”

Dany squinted at him. “No. You never told me.”

“I didn't?”

“No.”

“Oh. . .” Jon took a sip from his water glass. “Where did you think I went on my half days? What did you think I was doing all day Sundays?”

“I don't know.” Dany looked down at the table top, feeling like an idiot. She knew Jon was a part-timer at Lannister & Baratheon, but she hadn't ever considered that was because he had a second job. “I guess I just thought you only wanted to work part-time.”

Jon smirked. “Well, as lovely as that life sounds, I live in Los Angeles and my family cut me off a long time ago.”

Dany frowned, thinking about all the checks her father sent her throughout the years to remind her that she was his daughter, and her Camry which was paid in full by her father. 

“That wasn't a dig at you,” Jon assured. “I'm just saying that I specifically looked for a part-time job to supplement my income because public defending pays shit.”

“I'm sure we have a full-time Junior Associate position available,” Dany said, knowing that the turn-over for Junior Associates was high due to personality clashes with the partners. 

“I like public defending,” Jon said. “I wish I could keep doing it full-time, but. . . ya know, I can't just be poor my whole life. And I've got a shit ton of student loan debt still.”

The more Jon spoke, the more unhappy Dany became. 

“Why are you upset?” Jon asked. 

“I just. . . I feel stupid.”

Jon's shoulders fell. “You shouldn't. If I didn't tell you about my career then that's my fault. I should have told you.” He hated lying to her, but his pride was too strong. Jon knew very well he never told Dany about his other job. There was a lot he didn't tell her, not just because she never asked or because it never seemed relevant. There were things about him, fundamental things, that he actively tried to hide form Dany. One of those things, was the fact that he had no money, and despite his degrees, he probably will never have much money. 

“What about last weekend?” Dany glumly asked. 

“What about last weekend?” 

“Why would you spend so much money on me when you don't have anything?”

Jon sighed, resting against the back of his chair. That question was one of the reasons Jon didn't tell her about his financial situation. _You don't have anything._ Because, to people who have always had money, not having money means you don't have _anything._ It wasn't her fault, though. Dany didn't choose the life she was given just as Jon didn't choose his life, but no matter how badly Dany's parents dropped the ball on supporting her emotionally, they would always support her in one way – financially, and that was still more than Jon had. 

“You don't need to worry about that,” Jon said. 

“Jon, I don't want you wasting money on me--”

“I don't waste anything on you,” Jon stated pointedly, growing frustrated. “What I do for you, and what I give you, is not a waste. It is all calculated, and it is all worth it. You do not have to worry about me or my situation, ever. I can take care of you, and that is all you need to focus on.”

Dany's lips parted, eyes studying Jon's expression. She'd never seen him so irritated. Maybe it was a testament to how deeply he cared for Dany that even when he was irritated, his words themselves were only ever about supporting her. But, for the first time, Dany didn't get good feelings from Jon telling her he would take care of her. “That isn't how this works,” she eventually spoke. “If I'm your girlfriend – your _real_ girlfriend – I'm going to worry about you.”

Jon's head shook. He knew he was being stubborn, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want Dany to ever worry about him. The thought of it made him sick. Angry even. Like everything they had done these past weeks had been tainted now. He wouldn't be able to handle it if Dany began fretting over his spending or over any other facet of his life. 

“Unless I'm not your real girlfriend,” Dany muttered when Jon only responded with a cold expression. “If all this is is just fucking, then I guess I don't need to worry about you at all. As long as you make me come, what does anything else matter? You can do whatever you want.”

The words hit Jon in the center of the chest, splintering inside his heart. His brows furrowed with confusion and concern. “Dany. . .”

“I'm finished eating, and I've got a lot of work to do back at the office, so I'm going to walk back,” Dany said coldly, standing from her chair. She put her sweater on by herself and lifted her purse onto her shoulder. “You can stay if you want. It doesn't matter to me.” She turned and left the restaurant, pushing the front door open on her own and storming out. 

She made it half way down the first block before Jon caught up to her, having tossed a couple twenties on the table before bolting out the door himself. He took her arm and spun her around to face him. 

“Why would you say that?” he asked, voice angered, eyes devastated. “I'm not hurting you, Dany. Why is it so bad that I don't want you knowing I'm fucking broke?”

“Because it means you don't trust me!” she exclaimed, pulling her arm from Jon's grasp. “You said that we needed trust above anything else. I don't care if you have money or you don't have money. I don't care if your a public defender making thirty-grand a year or if you're CEO of a fortune 500 company. But I'm not going to let you give me things that you don't have. Give me what I need, Jon, not what you want to give me. I don't need fancy hotel suites and five-star restaurants and designer lingerie. I need you. And that means, knowing things about you. Maybe not _everything,_ but I need to know the important things, like what you do for a living. I don't even know where you live.”

Hands shoved in his pockets, Jon took deep breaths, eyes staring at Dany's left hand, where his ring circled her middle finger. How something so cheap could look so magnificent on her was a mystery. 

“This isn't just about sex for me, Jon,” Dany said, near tears. “I want to be a part of your life. But, if you can't do that, or you don't want to, then maybe this really isn't our time.”

“Dany.” He took her hands into his own firmly. “This is our time. I just. . . I have problems, alright? I want us to be perfect, and in my mind, that means you not having to worry about anything, especially about me, because in my experience, when someone worries about me, it's because they don't trust me, and they want to control me, and I'm just a weak piece of shit to criticize and look down on.”

“I do not want to control you, Jon. You know that,” Dany said. “I know your step-mom did a number on you, and I know that's hard, but my parents fucked me up, too. I can't handle feeling left out.”

“I'm not leaving you out.”

“You're keeping me at a distance,” Dany argued sadly. “It's like you don't even want me.”

Jon quickly pulled Dany into his arms, hugging her in a tight embrace. How could she think such a thing? Dany has been all he's wanted since he was seventeen years old. But it was clear why she thought that, and it was the same reason that Jon feared Dany would not want him either once he showed her all of himself. They came from the same place – a place void of love, understanding, and stability. No one wanted them growing up. Dany was ignored, and Jon was abused. Both abandoned.

“I want you, baby,” Jon murmured against her hair. “You're all I want. I'm just afraid you're going to decide you don't need me, or that I can't take care of you. I need you to look up to me, not down.”

Dany raised her head to look him in the eye, arms circled tightly around his shoulders. “I'm small,” she whispered. “I can only look up at you.”

Smiling softly, Jon quietly replied, “You're not small. But you are my little Daisy. And I'm going to try to be better for you. I just. . . make mistakes sometimes.”

Dany had never seen Jon so vulnerable, so fearful. Usually she was the panicked one, the one always on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She understood where Jon's fear resided. He worried that if he showed Dany his vulnerable side, she would come to find him weak and unable to provide for her. Quite the opposite was true, though. How could someone incapable of being vulnerable ever understand Dany enough to give her what she needed?

“Everyone makes mistakes,” Dany softly spoke. “No one is perfect. I don't want you to be perfect. I want you to be you, because I need you.”

Jon leaned in and captured her mouth with his, kissing her tenderly. Not a reward, but a sign of his adoration for her. A kiss that did not say “good girl,” but rather “I love you.”

* * * * *

At eight o'clock that night, there were three knocks on the front door. Oh how Jon hated to be on this side of the door. He much preferred being the one who knocks rather than the one who opens the door and allows their whole life to be scrutinized. But, Dany would never scrutinize him, would she? 

“Hey,” he greeted her, allowing her entry. 

“Hi,” she greeted him with a soft smile as she walked inside. 

It was strange for Dany, too. She didn't know the rules of being at Jon's apartment. Would she be punished for not arriving in panties and a men's shirt? Immediately, she took in her surroundings, and there was much to take in. It was a small space, just a studio apartment, but there was a full kitchen and a dining area. The back wall was all red brick save for the large cut out of a window behind white blinds. The other walls were white, but the band posters and funky street paintings that decorated the walls gave them warmth. There was an old fireplace against one white wall, long sealed and now only for decoration. Jon had stacked books and records inside of it. Adjacent was a brown leather loveseat with cracks in the upholstery, reminding Dany of the old coffee shop sofa they had sat together on at Berkeley several years ago. The floors were wood and covered partially by a red oriental rug, old and stained. 

“You hate it,” Jon stated after several minutes of watching Dany analyze his living space. 

“I don't,” Dany insisted. 

Opposite the faux-fireplace was Jon's bed, full-size with gray flannel sheets and a forest green comforter. On his dining table was a mountain of paperwork, a stack of legal books, and an HP laptop. 

“I like it,” Dany finally said. 

Jon chuckled, shaking his head. “No, you don't.”

“I do.”

“No, you don't,” Jon repeated. “Look. The paint is coming off the walls. There's a mysterious water spot on the ceiling that does not look friendly. All of my furniture came from either a thrift store or IKEA. Sometimes my front door just randomly decides not to open from the outside. I've got shitty insulation so it's always cold at night, and I've got no AC so it's always hot during the day.”

“We can repaint,” Dany suggested optimistically. “A plumper could tell you if that water stain is something serious, but it never rains in LA anyway. I really like your furniture, especially your emerald green dresser. Maybe you're just not being nice enough to your front door. You can get a space heater for nighttime and a fan for daytime. And--” Dany move to the window, “this is a really big window. You probably get lots of great light in--” she peered through the blinds to see a view of a brick wall and the windows of the neighboring apartment building. “Well. . . nevermind. That's a really bad view.”

Jon smiled despite his discomfort. “You're sweet, Daisy.”

She turned, looking adamant. “I really do like it, Jon. I mean, it's not some new-construction luxury apartment on the beach, but it's nice. It's cozy. It smells like coffee and your cologne, and your bed looks really comfy.” 

“You don't think less of me because I live here and you live. . . well, in a new-construction luxury apartment on the beach.”

“My building is like three blocks away from the beach,” Dany protested meekly, cheeks pink. “No, Jon. Of course not. Believe it or not, I am not a precious princess who needs to be surrounded by Pottery Barn décor at all times.”

“Good,” Jon closed the gap between them and rested his hands on her waist, “because I don't know what Pottery Barn is. Is that like Color Me Mine?”

Dany scrunched her nose and snickered. She draped her arms around Jon's neck and their mouths connected in a slow, sensual kiss, tasting each other softly. 

“Daisy girl,” Jon murmured against her lips. “You are dressed very inappropriately. Let's get you changed, shall we?”

* * * * *

Jon had been right about it being cold at night. He had to pile extra blankets onto his bed just to ease Dany's shivering form – shivering this time from actual chill and not just the aftermath of an intense orgasm. He made a mental note to buy a couple of space heaters to keep running while they slept on future occasions. But even after christening his studio apartment with their lovemaking, Jon still felt discomfort at having Dany immersed in what had been his personal sanctum. 

After Dany had drifted off to sleep, naked, come-filled, and snuggled under a mountain of blankets, Jon slipped out of bed and padded into the bathroom. Dany wasn't the type to look through his things, but Jon decided he couldn't take the chance. He opened his medicine cabinet and pulled out one pill bottle after the other, hiding them all under the sink, deep into a basket of wash cloths. 

* * * * *

It was five in the morning when Jon was startled awake by a Kimbra song blasting at a close distance while a violent buzzing noise ravaged his senses. He snapped awake, twisting about like these were the signs of the apocalypse. Dany's naked form stirred beside him.

"What the fuck is that?" Jon asked as Dany reached over to Jon's nightstand and grabbed her vibrating phone.

"Sorry," Dany mumbled sleepily. "That's my alarm."

"Your alarm?" The light from Dany's phone blinded Jon momentarily as she shut off her alarm. "The sun isn't even up. What time is it?"

"Five." Dany yawned, sitting up and rubbing at her sleepy eyes.

"Five? Jesus. Go back to sleep." Jon pummeled her to the mattress, holding her tight.

Dany giggled and kissed Jon's cheek. "I have to get up, honey. Gotta run by my place before going into the office."

"I set my alarm for seven so you would have time to have breakfast with me and go back home before work."

"Aww." She kissed his tired face again. "Thank you, but I need to be in the office by seven."

"For what?" Jon was incredulous. To him, the world did not exist before seven, and even then, the world was still in a semi-loading state, pixilated and blurry.

"I always get to the office by seven."

Jon released a drawn out groan of disappointment, nuzzling his face into the curve of Dany's neck. "Rule seven. No waking up before seven."

Dany giggled, rubbing her feet against Jon's under the covers. "Okay, but I'm going to have to disobey it, so I guess you'll be spanking me later."

"I'll spank you right now," Jon playfully warned.

"Go back to sleep, honey," Dany said, then pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'll see you at work."

As much as she hated to, Dany pried herself from Jon and from the warmth of his bed. In an ideal world, she could sleep in til the sun was ready to great her, and she would have time to eat breakfast with Jon before work, but there was a lot of pressure on Dany, especially now that she was Senior Litigator. Not only did she have a ton of work to do, she never wanted anyone to arrive to the office before her. She wanted there to be no mistake that Dany was the hardest working attorney in the entire firm.

Jon drifted back to sleep before Dany got her shoes back on, and it saddened her greatly to leave him, but the grind awaited, and Dany was a submissive to the grind just as she was a submissive to Jon.

* * * * *

Just as every day at Lannister & Baratheon, Jon worked with his eye on the clock, waiting patiently for the time when he could get out of there and work on keeping his clients out of prison. He wouldn't have time for lunch with Dany, but Friday was just tomorrow, and he could wait one day to spend quality time with her.

At nearly eleven that morning, Jon's phone buzzed with a text from Dany and the message surprised him in the most seductive of ways.

_'I'm touching myself.'_

The words sent a pressure straight to Jon's crotch that caused him to shift in his office chair. Whatever he had been working on was immediately shoved to the back of his mind. He had received these texts from Dany before, mostly on weekday nights and Sundays when she was alone and needing to unwind solo. But this one hit differently, because Jon knew full well that Dany was in her office and not home alone, tucked beneath her sheets or sprawled on the sofa. 

Even so, Jon quickly texted back, _'Where are you?'_

Sure enough, the response was, _'In my office.'_

Jon replied, _'That's risky.'_

Dany replied, _'I locked the door.'_

Jon smirked. _'And what made you so horny you couldn't keep your hands off yourself?'_

Dany replied, _'Just thinking about you bending me over my desk and fucking me.'_

Jon's lips parted, eyes darting to his own office door that was wide open, co-workers walking past it through the long hallway like they were all late for meetings, because they probably all were. Jon texted back, _'How are you touching yourself?_

Dany soon replied, _'I'm sitting at my desk, resting back in my chair. I took my panties off and I have my hand underneath my skirt. I have two fingers inside me right now.'_

She then immediately followed up with, _'Your ring is getting all wet ): '_

Jon's cock swelled in his slacks. He knew that last text was just meant to tease him. He quickly replied, _'You're being very naughty this morning. Is this because I let us fuck on a weekday?'_

Dany took a minute to respond. _'I want you to fuck me every day, all day.'_

Jon released a steady sigh, willing himself to regain control. She was begging him, and he couldn't allow that. He soon replied, _'Am I going to have to set rules for you about when and where you're allowed to touch yourself?'_

A minute passed, and Dany replied, _'I'm rubbing my clit now. I'm gonna cum soon.'_

Jon quickly replied, _'Daisy, we are going to have a talk about this behavior later.'_

Dany quickly replied, _'Will you spank me?'_

Jon shook his head, both enchanted and dismayed by his Daisy's sass. He had obviously been going too easy on her, given her too much free reign, and not enough consequences to her actions. He texted back, _'You'll find out what your punishment is this weekend.'_

Immediately, Dany replied with a frowny face emoticon, followed quickly by, _'Can I cum please?'_

Jon replied, _'No.'_ It was the first time Jon had ever denied her orgasm when she was masturbating, but she was being naughty, and naughty girls don't get rewards. 

Quickly, Dany replied, _'Jon please! ): '_

More begging. Jon replied, _'Take your hand away from your pussy. Put your panties back on, and get back to work.'_

_'I can't. I'm too close.'_

_'You aren't going to like the punishment you get if you cum right now.'_

When Dany never responded, Jon knew she had given herself release anyway. So defiant she was, but that was what Jon got for not giving her more discipline. Good girls act out without the right amount of discipline. 

Not long before Jon needed to head out for the day, he got caught up in a conversation with Theon Greyjoy about Halloween, which was tomorrow. They were in the kitchen, Jon refilling his mug with fresh coffee. While Theon was inviting him to a “totally dope” party he was throwing at his sister's apartment, Dany walked into the kitchen. When Jon looked at her, Dany's eyes momentarily widened, and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. She avoided eye contact immediately and moved quickly to the pantry for her lunch. Such a naughty girl, Jon thought as his eyes followed her. 

“Be sure to wash your hands before you eat,” Jon told her casually, but with a look in his eye that only made Dany blush harder. 

Without looking at him, Dany shut the pantry and dutifully went to the sink to wash up. 

“Dany,” Theon chirped. “I'm throwing a Halloween thing tomorrow night if you're interested.”

“Uh,” Dany began while she lathered her porcelain hands with liquid soap. “Nah, I've got plans for Halloween actually. Thanks, though.”

“Shoot.” Theon gave Jon a look like he had assumed Dany wouldn't be interested in attending, something akin to an eye roll. “What about you, Jon? I've got a buddy who's gonna DJ.”

“Shit. Sounds awesome,” Jon replied in an eerily convincing manner. “I've actually got plans, too. I'm going over to a friend's place for a costume party he's having.”

Glumly, Theon nodded, but was not disappointed for long, because another of their co-workers wandered into the kitchen to unknowingly receive an invite. 

Jon left the kitchen with his mug of coffee, and Dany left a minute later. When she arrived back at her office with her microwaved cup of soup and diet Coke in hand, Jon was perched on her desk, sipping his coffee casually. 

Eyes widening with embarrassment, Dany pushed her door shut with her hip, just in case. He wouldn't punish her at work, would he? God, Dany fantasized about him doing just that, but with him physically in front of her, she prayed that wasn't the case. Someone could hear, and while Dany was accepting her submissive status more and more, the thought of these proclivities being discovered by anyone, especially by those she worked with, was too mortifying. She would have to quit her job. She would have to leave the state, change her name, and hide away in the Montana forests like the Unabomber for the rest of her life. 

But when she was sat tentatively in her desk chair, eyes cast down at her lap, and the source of all her naughtiness, Jon casually asked, “Do you really have plans for Halloween, or were you just saying that to get out of going to Theon's thing?”

Dany chewed her bottom lip as she mustered up the courage to meet Jon's eye. “I really have plans. I'm going to my friend Missandei's house to go trick-or-treating.”

Jon smirked softly. “I know you're petite, Dany, but I don't think you could pull off trick-or-treating.”

She smiled bashfully. “Missandei and Grey have a three-year-old now, but Grey is working Halloween night, so I'm going to help take little Nathan out.”

“That's sweet. I was going to see if you wanted to be my date to this party I'm going to, but your thing sounds more important.”

Dany's eyes twinkled at the word _date._ See, Jon wouldn't punish her just for requiring an orgasm to get through the rest of the work day. Her honey was all bark and no bite. “How late will it go?”

“Late, probably. I'll get there around nine and try to leave before midnight.”

“I'll be leaving Missi's house around nine anyway. She turns in early ever since the baby. I could meet you there, if you want me to.”

Jon smiled and slid from the desk top. “I would love that.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You should take an Uber there, though. That way we can leave together.”

“Okay,” Dany murmured before accepting another gentle kiss. See, Jon still thought she was a good girl. Everything was going to be okay.

“It's a costume party, though. Do you have a costume?”

Dany nodded happily. 

“Don't tell me what it is. I want to be surprised.” After another little kiss to Dany's lips, then her forehead, Jon turned and left, needing to get to the courthouse for an appearance. 

* * * * * 

Dany took an Uber to Missandei's place on Halloween evening before the sun went down. She was dressed in the same costume she had worn the past four Halloweens, mostly because it was easy to put together. A black, long sleeve dress over a white collared blouse, black stockings, Mary Jane shoes, and her hair in two braids down both shoulders. 

“Blonde Wednesday!” Missandei shouted gleefully upon opening the front door for Dany. The two young women embraced like they hadn't seen each other in years. 

Her best friend was dressed as a fairy princess, a green shimmery dress with a pink too-too and glittering wings harnessed around her shoulders. 

“Hey, Dany!” Grey greeted her from where he sat on the living room floor, allowing Nathan to dance his Toy Story dolls across Grey's legs. Grey was dressed as a police officer, but it wasn't a costume. He would be on patrol tonight, leaving in a half hour, and once he was gone, Missandei and Dany would venture out to the rich neighborhoods for free candy they will inevitably eat after Nathan was put to bed. 

“Just a heads up, though,” Dany said to Missandei as she sat down on the sofa. “I've got to get out of here at nine so I get meet someone at a thing.”

“So you can meet _someone_ at a _thing?_ ” Missandei asked, wiggling her eyebrows. She dropped to her knees on the carpet and pulled Nathan away from his toys so that she could dress him up in his cowboy costume. 

Dany's face flushed. She hadn't told Missandei about Jon yet. It felt weird. Dany hadn't been in a genuine relationship since she dumped that weird guy in college. And the fact that Missandei knew about what had happened between Dany and Jon to make them part ways added fuel to the awkwardness. Dany had spent months of her life trying to convince Missandei that Jon didn't want anything to do with her, and that they would never be anything. But now. . . it was time for Dany to officially eat those words. 

“It's just a party,” Dany replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it. 

“A party?” Grey asked with an incredulous grin. “Dany is going to a party?”

Dany sent him a glare, negated by her blushing cheeks. “It isn't a big deal.”

“But who are you going with?” asked Missandei, hope in her eyes that Dany was finally putting herself out there. “Who is _someone?”_

“Just. . .” She was too nervous, even with her best friend. “Just someone. Someone I've been seeing.” _My boyfriend,_ Dany desperately wanted to say, but somehow the words just would not come through her mouth. 

“Okaaaaaay,” Missandei replied, eyebrows raised. “Who is this someone? A guy?”

Dany nodded. 

“What's his name?”

Dany gulped, her nervousness quickly producing a fit of giggles, as if she was fifteen all over again. No, as if she was seven and swooning over a picture of Lance Bass. She fell onto her side, covering her face with her hands to hide her beet red face and giant grin. 

“Oh my gosh!” Missandei shouted, running to the sofa and jumping onto Dany. “You have a boyfriend!” 

Nathan let out a shriek of joy and mimicked his mother, running to the sofa and climbing on top of the women. 

“I can't breathe!” Dany laughed. 

Once Grey pried Nathan from the dog pile, Missandei slide off of Dany and allowed the anxious girl some air. 

“But, you do have a boyfriend, right?” Missandei pressed excitedly. 

When Dany timidly nodded, Missandei cheered like the Rams had won the Super Bowl. “You are going to have to tell me EVERYTHING!” 

“Alright, well I've got to get going,” Grey said as he finished getting Nathan dressed. “You girls have fun tonight. I'll be back before you wake up, Missi. And Dany. . .” He tossed Dany a little wink, “congrats.” 

Dany didn't tell Missandei everything. She couldn't. There was too much that Dany couldn't talk about with anyone except Jon, fearing cardiac arrest. But, as they slowly made their way down the suburban streets crowded with cheerful kids in fun dress, Dany admitted to Missandei who her boyfriend was. 

“You're kidding,” Missandei stated with a look of shock. “He's here?”

“He got a job at my office,” Dany explained. 

“Is that a coincidence?”

“What do you mean?” Dany asked. “You think he started working there because of me?”

“I don't know. Maybe.” Missandei looked completely scandalized, like she had just found out her favorite Soap characters had finally hooked up. “So you're really with him now? Like. . . _with him_ with him?”

Dany nodded, ringing her hands in front of her with nervous excitement. She wished Jon was here so she could prove it to Missandei. She wished Jon was here just so she could hold his hand and inhale his scent. 

“Did you talk about what happened in Berkeley?”

Dany nodded again, expression turning glum at the mention of such a dark period in her life, when she allowed her nerves and paranoia to keep her from the man she needed to be with for years. 

“Good,” Missandei breathed, then lifted a smile. “This is good, right? He's being good to you?”

“Yes.” Dany's face brightening again. She could squeal she was so happy. 

Missandei noticed. She wrapped Dany up in the arm not holding onto Nathan and hugged her tightly. “I'm happy for you, D,” she softly said. 

They carried on to the next house and while Nathan was running up to shout “Twicker tweat!” at the old woman handing out candy on the front porch, Missandei sent Dany a mischievous look. “So, you've been getting laid and not telling me about it?”

Dany's blush soon returned, knowing Missandei was about to press her for very, very specific details, but Dany would remain demure about it. Yes, she and Jon were having sex, and yes, it was always amazing, but Missandei didn't need to know any more than that. 

* * * * *

It was a half hour after Jon arrived at his buddy, Edd's, party when Dany called his cell to say she was out front. She was too nervous to wander into a stranger's home and search aimlessly for Jon. Jon broke away from the conversation he was caught up in to go retrieve Dany from the front lawn. 

“And what are you supposed to be?” Jon asked with a big smile upon seeing Dany in her all black outfit and braids. He put his hands on her shoulders and sized her up. “Let me guess. . . a sexy goth chick?”

Dany chuckled. “I'm Blonde Wednesday Addams.”

“That was my next guess.” Jon leaned down and pecked her lips softly. 

“What are you?” Dany asked comically, looking him up and down now. “A magician?”

Jon stepped back and opened his arms to reveal his long black cape like they were wings. “I'm a vampire!”

“Where are your fangs?” Dany laughed. 

“They hurt my teeth, so I'm a vampire with retractable fangs.” Jon hooked his arm around Dany's and escorted her into the small house that was alive with loud Halloween-themed music and the chatter of people. 

Dany had never been to a true party before, and she was never particularly interested in them, but being introduced to all forty-some people at this one, one by one, as Jon's girlfriend made Dany suddenly love parties. Most of these people seemed to be fellow courthouse employees, the host himself being a trial stenographer, and they ran into Sam again and Dany got to meet his wife. 

It was interesting to see this side of Jon. At Lannister & Baratheon, Jon put up a brilliant front as being someone interested in the elegant side of lawyering. The high-profile clients, the multi-million dollar settlements, the company credit cards and free Dodgers tickets. But these people were of Jon's world, and Dany was getting to know the difference between fake work-Jon and genuine work-Jon. She watched as Jon told stories of his former clients, cases most people would never take up, but Jon spoke of them like they were grand adventures. It was refreshing to see him so excited about his work, even if it was the work separate from Dany's. 

She also got to bashfully enjoy Jon telling his closest buddies about how they met. “I was obsessed with her,” Jon would exclaim. “I was a total weirdo, but for some reason, she seemed to like me anyway.”

“He wasn't a weirdo,” Dany would happily argue. “And _I_ was the one obsessed with _him._ I mean, he was the most popular guy in school. I had no friends.”

“She was too good for any of those people,” Jon would retort. “I still hadn't gotten the clue that we went to school with a bunch of tools.”

Dany would laugh, and Jon would wrap his arm around her shoulders. All his friends and co-workers told them they looked cute together, and Dany firmly agreed.

When they had a moment alone, Dany stood on her toes and whispered into Jon's ear, “What can I drink?”

“I'll get you something,” he replied, leaving her alone just long enough to grab a couple of beverages from the kitchen. 

Jon handed her a red cup and she immediately took a sip, tasting nothing but Sprite. She blinked heavily at him, and he responded by kissing her on the forehead. “No drinking,” he said. “Unless you just want to go straight to sleep when we get back to your place.”

Dany lifted a smirk, grabbed Jon by the strap of his cape, and pulled him down to kiss her lips. She certainly did not want to go straight to sleep. Sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. 

* * * * *

It was near midnight when they finally ducked out of the party, and Jon drove them both to Dany's apartment. The whole drive, Dany was getting fresh with Jon, rubbing her hand up and down his thigh and using the other to bring Jon's fingers to her mouth like she was starving for human flesh. Jon clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth at her antics, though his cock grew in his pants all the same. 

Before they even made it out of the elevator up to Dany's floor, she was pulling Jon down for a heated kiss and pressing her body flush with his, even moving her hips against him to get a reaction from his loins. She was a cat trying to climb him like a tree. All claws.

So feisty she was becoming, even without a drop of alcohol in her system. Jon was pleased and dismayed in equal measure. Pleased because it meant she was growing more and more comfortable with him, and subsequently more comfortable in her own skin. He was dismayed, however, because it was just further proof she needed more discipline. And he didn't like being teased by her. She teased him enough without having to do anything but exist in his presence. Anything else felt like begging, and that was against the rules. 

As soon as they got in Dany's front door, she was shedding her clothes like they were on fire. She pulled her black dress up and over her body, tossing it into oblivion before kicking off her shoes and tearing off her stockings. 

“Daisy,” Jon said in a warning tone as Dany removed her bra. 

Dany hurried into her bedroom in only black panties, and she returned a few moments later tugging on one of Jon's t-shirts. She stopped a few feet from Jon, fishing her braids out from the neck hole of the t-shirt and situating them down her chest. When she was ready, she dropped her hands to her sides and stood still, looking at Jon with a proud look on her face, ready for whatever Jon had in mind. 

Jon squinted at her suspiciously. He removed his cape and draped it over a dining chair. Without it, he was simply in the clothes he had worn to work that day: black slacks, white dress shirt, skinny black tie and faux-leather shoes. He stepped closer to Dany, looking her over. 

“Did you have fun tonight?” he asked her, fingering lightly her braids. 

“Yes,” she answered with a soft smile. “Did you?”

“Mhm,” Jon hummed. “You were very cute and very sweet. I think everyone loved you.”

Dany smiled wider at the thought. 

“I wish we could just play around tonight and keep having fun--”

Dany's smile fell at the word _wish._

“--but you have been a naughty girl lately. Don't look at me like that. You know it's true.”

Dany was frowning, bottom lip pouted and eyebrows furrowed. Jon wanted so badly to kiss her pout, but Dany needed a firm hand tonight, not more coddling. 

“Tell me how you've been naughty,” Jon instructed. 

Dany gulped, eyes moving downward in shame. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. 

“I forgive you,” Jon firmly said, resting his hands on her shoulders, “but you still need to be punished, or you'll never learn from your mistakes.”

Glumly, Dany nodded. She certainly did know she had been naughty lately, but she was hoping Jon would let her indiscretions slide on account of how cute and sweet she was. 

“Tell me how you've been naughty,” Jon instructed again. 

“I. . . I left you at five in the morning when you wanted me to stay--”

“No.” Jon shook his head. “If you think you need to get into work early, I don't want to stop you. Tell me how you've been naughty, Daisy.”

After a few moments of chewing on her bottom lip, Dany meekly answered, “I touched myself at work. . . even after you told me to stop, and. . . I made myself come even when you told me not to. And I didn't text you after I came either, because I knew I did something wrong.”

“And?” Jon pressed. 

Dany answered with a confused expression. 

“You begged me, Daisy,” Jon stated. “You begged me to let you come, and before that, you told me you wanted me to fuck you every day, all day. Do you remember that?”

Despite her shame, Dany's toes curled as Jon spoke such scandalous words. She nodded. 

“And just tonight, in the car and in the elevator,” Jon continued, “you were being very feisty. You were basically dry humping me, which I loved, but it felt a lot like you were begging me to fuck you in a public space. Is that what you wanted? Did you want me to fuck you in the elevator?”

Wetness was pooling in Dany's panties, soaking the fabric. “I don't know,” she timidly replied. 

“Do you know that there are security cameras in the elevator?” Jon asked pointedly. 

Dany grimaced, realizing that she did indeed know of the cameras, and that the doorman routinely monitored them as he sat at his post. 

“Your life needs more control, baby, and I'm going to give it to you,” Jon said. “From now on, you're not allowed to come when I'm not with you. Never at work. Only in your apartment or mine. Unless I tell you otherwise.”

Dany's eyes widened and her head shook. They're special time together was often limited to Friday nights and Saturdays, and she was used to daily orgasms. Sometimes, having an orgasm was the only thing that kept her sane. 

“This is the way it has to be, Daisy,” said Jon, bringing his hands up to cup her face. “You are banned from masturbating unless I specifically tell you it's okay, without you asking for it, and especially without you begging for it. Do you understand?”

 _Please, not this!_ Dany wanted to say, but that would be begging, and Dany feared what else Jon may take away from her if she doubled down on her naughtiness. She whimpered, but nodded. 

“That's my good girl,” Jon murmured sweetly before pressing a chaste kiss to Dany's lips. “And now, it's time for your punishment.”

Dany cast a bewildered look at Jon. When he asked is she had a concern, Dany said, “I thought the new rule was my punishment.”

“No. The new rule is for your own good. You still need to be punished for all of your disobedience.” 

She released another whimper as Jon slid his hand into hers and led her to the bedroom. He instructed her to lift her arms, and Jon pulled off the t-shirt she had just put on. He then tugged down her panties, and Dany stepped out of them. 

Jon went to the mauve sofa and sat down on the center cushion. “Lay right here,” Jon instructed, patting his lap.

Anxious, naked and sopping wet, Dany climbed onto the sofa and rested herself across Jon's lap so that her butt was raised slightly above the rest of her. Her vulva pressed against Jon's thigh, suddenly making her more excited than anxious. 

Jon rested a palm between Dany's shoulder blades to keep her steady on the sofa. He placed his other palm upon her bare butt, gently caressing the fair flesh that would soon burn red hot. “I know you like it when I swat your butt a couple of times, so this is going to be different. Do you remember the safe word?”

Dany's heart raced. Indeed, she got pleasure out of the occasional slap on her butt cheeks, but Jon had never given her more than a few at a time. How would this be different?” She nodded, cheek rested upon the sofa cushion. 

“Good,” Jon said, and a moment later, he raised his palm and brought it down swiftly, slapping her skin to make it ripple. 

Dany gasped softly from the impact, but it wasn't anything worse than what Jon had done before. In fact, the sensation gave a jolt of electricity to her pussy, and she wondered if Jon would notice her humping his thigh. Before she could test him, Jon's hand came down on her other cheek. 

The third swat was harder, and Dany winced. The forth was even harder than that. Jon smacked her open-palmed, over and over, alternating cheeks each time. By the tenth spank, Dany feared Jon was going to spank her until she said the safe word. Still, though, Dany was resolved not to break. She didn't need the safe word. By the sixteenth spank, Dany's skin was on fire, but still she wouldn't say the word. By the twentieth, Dany's eyes were watering. 

The final six spanks were the hardest. Jon's palm stung from the continued contact, but he didn't stop until he had doled out twenty-six slaps to Dany's ass. Immediately after the twenty-sixth, Jon rested his hand gently on her red skin. Dany flinched at first, until she realized it was all over now. She was crying into the sofa cushion from the pain, body shivering and throat whimpering. 

“Shhh,” Jon breathed, lightly stroking her sore butt. “Everything is okay, Daisy. You did amazing. I'm so proud of you.”

Despite the stinging pain and the ache in her heart from disappointing Jon with her behavior, Dany was proud of herself, too. She had taken everything like a good girl. 

“How do you feel?” Jon softly asked. 

Dany couldn't respond at first, still trying to catch her breath and will herself to stop crying. Eventually, she answered, “Stingy.”

Jon hummed sympathetically. “I know, baby. It's all over now.” He would lie her in bed upon her belly and gently massage warm lotion into her butt cheeks to make them feel better, but first. . .

Dany made a quiet squeak as she felt Jon's hand curve down between her thighs to caress her pussy lips. She sniffled and rubbed her tear stained cheek against the sofa cushion. Jon's index finger dipped within her folds, immediately finding her slick, swollen clitoris. Dany moaned and parted her thighs enough to give Jon greater access. But Jon kept his ministrations simple. He stroked her clit in slow circles under the pad of his index finger, watching as her little asshole puckered and unpuckered with her arousal. One day soon, Jon would explore Dany's ass, but not tonight.

Within a couple minutes, Dany's hips were gyrating softly against Jon's thigh and her throat was emitting all sorts of quiet, strangled sounds. Soon after, her body convulsed as a wave of pleasure consumed her. Dany's orgasm lasted a full minute, and Jon massaged her clit until she physically couldn't stand the stimulation any longer. As soon as he slid his hand back up to Dany's red butt, her body slumped, though still quivering slightly. 

“Such a good girl. So sweet. So beautiful. So tired, huh? I think it's time for bed.” Jon carefully helped Dany up. He scooped her into his arms and brought her trembling form to bed.

After the lotion, the time was one-thirty in the morning, and Jon was almost as exhausted as Dany. He tucked her under the covers, positioning her on her side to limit the amount of contact the sheets had with her sore flesh. Jon then disrobed down to his underwear, turned out the lights, and climbed into bed beside her. His cock raged still, but he was too tired to do anything about it, and he didn't want to leave Dany alone for even a minute in the wake of her punishment. 

When Dany immediately reached for him, clinging to his side and nuzzling her cheek upon his chest, Jon's heart soared. Under the covers, Jon placed his palm upon a warm butt cheek and held it there. Despite her pained flesh, Dany shifted her butt against Jon's hand, taking comfort in his touch. 

“How do you feel?” Jon whispered his previous question again before kissing the back of Dany's head. 

Dany hummed a soft moan before turned her head enough to press a kiss to Jon's solid chest, just above his nipple. So many words swam through her head. Warm, cozy, happy, sleepy, proud, wet. The first one she grasped onto was the truest of them all, and the one she spoke. “Happy.”

“Goodnight, Daisy girl,” Jon breathed through a content sigh, letting himself sink into the mattress, relishing Dany's body against his, and taking comfort in her soft answer.


	9. Chapter 9

**NOVEMBER, 2019**

For days following Halloween night, it hurt Dany to sit, but on the bright side, the pain helped her to remember not to masturbate throughout the week. Even so, that following Friday could not have come any sooner. She was giddy at work all day, knowing that come evening time, she and Jon would meet at her apartment, and Dany was sure that Jon would reward her abstinence with many, many orgasms between then and Saturday night. 

When there came a rapping at her office door come five o'clock, she thought it was Jon coming to see if she could duck out early, but the man who entered was not Jon, but Theon Greyjoy, someone she had no business matters entangled with. Theon answered her confused look by dropping five file folders and a massive binder onto her desk. 

“The partners wanted me to hand this over to you. Looks like it's your case now. Good luck on Thursday. The judge is a real prick,” Theon said with one of those 'it's five o'clock on a Friday' looks. 

“Thursday?” Dany asked, fanning out the files and peeling open the binder to see what case this was that she supposedly had to begin work on. 

“The trial. Jury selection is Wednesday. Opening statements Thursday. I tried to get an extension, but like I said, the judge is a prick.”

_Or you're incompetent,_ Dany wanted to say. Her blood boiled with anger and anxiety. “What case is this?” Dany asked, her head too much in a flurry to read the type on the pleadings. 

“Plaintiffs are nurses suing Gardena Women's Clinic for gender discrimination.”

“A women's clinic is discriminating against women?”

“The nurses are men.” Theon cracked a smirk. “Way to stereotype, Dany.”

Dany's eyebrows furrowed. “Who are we representing?”

“The plaintiffs.”

After Theon left, Dany slumped back in her desk chair, files in her lap, devouring the information as fast as she could read with a hollow pit in her stomach. 

For the first time, Dany didn't need Missandei to ease her nerves before she spoke to the partners. She was too angry, and her anger trumped her nerves. 

She found both Tywin Lannister and Robert Baratheon in Robert's office, partaking in jokes and brandy. Loras was with them, joking and drinking as well. Dany rolled her eyes before knocking on the open door. 

“Dany!” Robert exclaimed, lifting a glass to her. “Thirsty?”

“No thank you,” replied Dany. “Could I speak with you two for a moment?”

“Which two?” Robert asked, before the three men erupted in more laughter. When the chortles subsided, the partners bid Loras goodbye. 

When Loras was gone, Dany suddenly had the floor. She gulped down her nerves, stepped farther into the office, and said, “I received the Gardena Women's Clinic files from Theon just now.”

“Great,” Tywin said. “I hope you'll look over those documents carefully. We'll be spending Monday and Tuesday preparing you for voir dire and opening statements.”

“I just have a question,” said Dany, trying her best not to stammer her words. “Was I put on this case because we are suing a clinic run by women, and I am the only female attorney here?”

There was silence for a few moments before Tywin succinctly answered, “Yes.”

Dany didn't know what she had expected to hear, but it wasn't that. The anger slowly began to eclipse her nerves. Raising her voice, she asked, “So I was made Senior Litigator just because I'm a woman, and you wanted a woman to interrogate the women defendants of this case?”

Robert chuckled, taking lightly the offended look upon Dany's face. “We have a solid case, Dany. You read the files. You know we can win. But, if we put Theon or one of the other litigators at first chair, all the jury is going to see is an arrogant man berating one girl after the other. They would automatically be turned off despite all the evidence playing in our favor.”

As much as Dany could understand being turned off by Theon Greyjoy, she despised every word that came out of Robert's mouth. “So, I didn't get this promotion because I was qualified. I got it because I'm a woman,” she stated, letting her irritation show. 

“You being a woman is what made you qualified!” Robert exclaimed. He turned to Tywin for help. “I don't see the problem.”

“What is your complaint exactly, Dany?” Tywin asked. “You ladies are always whining about men being promoted over you just because they're men. Well, now you've been promoted over everyone else because you're a woman. It's equality.”

“That is not equality,” Dany exclaimed, face growing hot. “Equality is when the person who is the most qualified gets the position regardless of gender. I'm not qualified for this position. I am not a good litigator. I wanted the Senior Counsel position, because that was the position I was qualified for, but you gave it to Loras, who is significantly less qualified for it than I am. Why? Because he's a man, and I'm a woman. It's not fair.”

“Is that what this is, then?” asked Tywin. “An ultimatum? Loras has already been given Senior Counsel, and your previous position has already been filled. So, it looks like you have two options. You can suck it up, do the job that has been given to you, and revel in the immense salary increase. Or, you can quit, get hired at a different firm starting over from the bottom, and still be unhappy because, like it or not, the real world isn't fair – something you millennials really seem to not understand.” Tywin's stare was deadly, and it took everything within Dany not to cry in front of him. “Tell you what. . . You can have the weekend to decide. If your desk is cleared out by the time I get into the office Monday morning, I'll assume you've quit.”

Dany managed to wait until she was shut up in her office to start crying angry, overwhelmed tears. She wanted to punch something, but she had never punched anything before and the thought of hurting her hand was too overpowering. Instead, she keeled over, clamped her teeth on the leather back of her chair and screamed into the fabric. 

* * * * *

Two hours later, Jon came to Dany's office, ready to get his Daisy home and naked as soon as possible. He walked into her office without knocking and perched himself on her desk as he always did. He smiled down at her, working so furiously she probably didn't even notice him come in. Jon always found the sight of her pouring through files and typing a thousand words a minute at her keyboard to be extremely adorable. It made him want to get down on his knees under her desk and lick her pussy while she worked – allow some pleasure to mix with her work. But, if Dany could not masturbate at the office, Jon certainly could not eat her out at the office. 

“Almost done?” Jon asked, reaching a hand out to stroke Dany's hair. 

“No,” she curtly stated. 

Her tone irked Jon. “What's wrong?”

“I got a new case. I have to appear in court Wednesday,” she replied quickly and coarsely, still not looking up at Jon, as if she really could read court documents and hold a conversation at the same time. 

“That's awesome.”

Now, Dany finally did pry her eyes from her work, just long enough to glare daggers up at Jon like he was here to steal her family's fortune. “Awesome?” she sneered. 

“Or not. . .” Jon slid from the desk top, heaving a sigh. “I know that litigating is your worst nightmare, but I can help you, Dany.”

“No, you can't,” Dany scoffed, looking back down at her papers. 

Jon put his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged her ultra-tense muscles. “Why don't you take a break from all that?”

“I can't take a break, Jon. Didn't you hear me? Wednesday,” Dany snapped. 

Jon stopped massaging. He peered down at the back of Dany's head for a moment, contemplating. She was losing it. All her nerves and fears had filled her up to the brim and she was overflowing. 

“Stop working, Daisy,” Jon softly commanded. 

“No.” 

“Daisy. This is not what you need to be doing right now. Put down the files, turn off the computer, and let's go. It's relaxing time. You can work later.” When Dany failed to comply, Jon said, “I told you that the next time you disobeyed me, I would use my belt on you.”

“I don't give a shit,” Dany muttered. “Just leave me alone.”

Jon's brows furrowed, now with genuine concern. He brought his thumb under her chin and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. “Dany, you need--”

“You need to leave me alone,” Dany stated once more. “I need to do this. I do not need to fuck with you right now. Just go.”

Jon's heart stopped. “Dany--”

“Ashley Simpson sucks!” Dany exclaimed. “Alright? Now leave me alone!”

Jon lingered to stare down at Dany, but she was through looking at him as soon as the words left her mouth. She turned back to her work and pretended like Jon was no longer in the room. And so, what else was there for Jon to do but to leave? He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and did just that. 

As Jon walked down the hall to his own office, where he would grab his stuff and _just go,_ Theon stopped him with a bewildered look. 

“Hey, man,” he said. “Am I hearing things, or did Dany just yell _Ashley Simpson sucks_ at you?”

Jon shook his head, mind and body vacant of any feelings besides grief over having to be alone tonight, and having to leave Dany behind in this state. “She's just in a real anti-Ashley Simpson mood today, I guess.”

Theon shrugged. “I kinda thought her songs were catchy. And, she was really hot.”

Jon gave Theon a pat on the shoulder as he walked past him. 

* * * * *

It was nearly ten o'clock that night when Jon was interrupted from his Hulu binge-fest by a rapid knocking at his door. He didn't like the sound of it and wondered if it was his annoying neighbor coming to complain about something Jon didn't do. But when he opened the door, it was Dany standing out in the hallway. Not for long, though. She shoved into Jon's apartment before he could ask what she was doing here. 

“What are you doing here?” Jon finally asked as Dany carried on into the living room. She looked frantic, manic even. Her hair was tied up in a thick bun, something she only did when the back of her neck was sweating bullets. She looked like she was hyperventilating as she began to peel her clothes off, even before Jon shut the front door. “Dany?”

She tugged her shirt off and flung it to the floor, then shoved off her bra. She didn't even pull the zipper down on her skirt before trying to tug it down her hips. The effort made her wobble on her heels. She tumbled to her knees. 

“Dany,” Jon exclaimed, hurrying to her as she rolled onto her back, the skirt caught around her upper thighs. 

Jon stooped, unzipped her, and pulled the skirt the rest of the way off her legs. Dany was definitely hyperventilating now. Her chest heaving and her eyes wide as she kicked her heels off, one by one. Now only in a white thong, Dany looked into Jon's eyes and said, “Punish me.”

“Dany--” Jon's head shook, expression oozing concern. 

“Please!” Dany cried, real tears welling under her eyelids. “I'm begging, Jon! See?! You have to punish me!”

“Dany--”

“Please!” She sat up and turned onto her hands and knees before lowering to her elbows, round butt pointed at Jon. “Use your belt!” she demanded. “I deserve it! Please, Jon!”

“Dany, stop,” Jon commanded. “I will not punish you.”

“Why not?!” Dany cried, digging her forehead into the hardwood floor and clutching her head with her hands. 

“Because, I don't want to.” How could he with her looking this way? He wanted to scoop her into his arms and rock her to sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to make contact with her. He was still hurt. 

Dany's cries turned into moans of anguish. Her body rocked slightly, as if trying to sooth herself in Jon's absence. When the tears stopped, Dany sat up on her knees, butt on her heels and chin to her chest. “Fine,” she muttered. “I can't do this anymore, Jon. It's too much. It's too overwhelming. Too stressful. I'm not cut out for this. I never was.”

With each word Dany spoke, Jon felt a chunk of his heart snap off and fall into the bottomless pit that had overtaken his stomach. Finally, Jon crawled to Dany and took her shoulders into his hands. “It doesn't have to be this way,” he told her. “Nothing is set in stone. We can change things. I can change. No more punishments. No more rules. We'll just be normal. I promise. Just don't give up yet.”

“What?” Dany croaked, swiping a fresh tear from her cheek and looking up at Jon's sullen face. “I'm not talking about us. I don't want us to change.”

“Oh. . .” Jon swallowed, taking a deep breath. “What are you talking about?”

“Work,” Dany replied with a deep frown. “I have to quit. There's no other option. Oh God. . . and the way I spoke to the partners today. . . they're never going to give me a good recommendation. I'll be ostracized. . . unless I can get my dad to make some phone calls. God, that would be humiliating.”

“Dany, you don't have to quit,” Jon asserted. “There is another option. You can show up in court, do right by your clients, and fucking kick ass.”

Dany shook her head. “You know better than anyone that I can't do that. I'll fail.”

“Then fail if you have to,” Jon said. “Failing is better than quitting. If you fail, then at least you tried.”

“If I fail, I'll get fired.”

“And then you'll get severance pay,” Jon said with a small smile. 

“Jon,” She sniffled, “I've only had this case for five hours, and I already feel like I'm dying inside.”

“You're not dying inside. You just need to relax and realize that you are capable of anything. And I'm going to help you. . . if you'll let me.” He rubbed his palms up and down her arms, as if trying to warm her. 

“How?” She asked with an innocent pout that told Jon she was ready to be his Daisy girl again. 

“Well, for starters, I'm going to get you off this dirty floor and take you to bed. Then, I'm going to make you come so that you can fall asleep without any thought in your head about work. And I'll be holding you all night to make sure you're okay.”

“Jon. . .” Dany took a few heavy breaths. “I'm sorry. I wasn't mad at you. I just. . . I was so. . .” Dany couldn't finish. There were too many words she could say. Her mind could not latch onto any one of them long enough for her mouth to speak them. 

Usually, Jon would say he forgave Dany right away, but this time, he hesitated. “You used the safe word on me,” he said, dejected. “I wasn't hurting you. We weren't having sex. You just used it to. . . get rid of me.”

“I'm sorry,” Dany repeated quickly. “Please forgive me. I know that's begging again, but I'll take the punishment. I'll take any punishment. You can spank me with the belt a hundred times. I'll take it.”

“Dany--” Jon shook his head. 

“The second you left, I couldn't focus on anything except how fucking sorry I was for how I spoke to you. You were just trying to help me, and you're still trying to help me. I don't deserve you.”

“You do, baby. You do deserve me. And I'm not going to punish you for having an anxiety attack.”

“At least let me make it up to you,” Dany pleaded. “Let me do something special for you, the way you always do special things for me. There has to be something you've been holding back on.”

Jon looked down at Dany's thighs, so pale and supple. “I don't want you to do anything because you feel guilty.”

“It wouldn't be because I feel guilty, Jon,” Dany insisted. “It would be because you mean everything to me.”

Jon looked up suddenly, meeting Dany's eyes, so blue and sincere. “There is something. . .” Jon said. 

“Okay. Let's do it.”

“It would be in the morning. I'd have to tie you up as soon as you wake up.”

Dany nodded. “That's fine. I want to do it.”

“Don't you want to know what it is first?” Jon asked. “It might seem weird.”

Dany shook her head. “No. I trust you. And we have the safe word, just in case.”

“Okay,” Jon breathed. He hadn't been planning on taking Dany this far yet, but maybe it was for the best. She needed someone to really take care of her this weekend, to make her forget about all the stresses in the world, all her responsibilities and her fears. She needed to feel like she could fit in the palm of Jon's hand, always safe and secure. “Let's get you to bed now.” He stood and scooped Dany up into his arms, bridle style. He carried her to his bed and rested her down. His finger hooked in the waist band of her panties. “Do you want to keep this on?”

Dany shook her head, a fingernail going between her teeth. Jon gently tugged the scrap of fabric from her body and dropped it to the floor. Dany watched, chewing on her nail as Jon shed his clothes down to his boxer briefs, as per the usual. When he was finished, Jon helped Dany to scoot under the covers, and he tucked her in tight so she would be warm until Jon turned on a dish space heater, pointed toward the bed. He closed his laptop, shut out the lights, then crawled into bed. 

On his side, Jon pressed his chest to Dany's shoulder and draped his arm across her abdomen to rest his palm on her hip. He whispered tenderly into her ear, “You're still my good girl, and I'm still proud of you.”

Her head turned, looking into Jon's eyes through the darkness between them. While they kissed, slow and soft, Jon slid his palm down between Dany's thighs to gently caress her stubbly pussy lips. Jon pet her for a full minute, then guided her thighs apart. 

As Jon dipped his tongue between Dany's parted lips, he slid his fingers against her warmth. She was not nearly as wet as she usually was, but Jon kept his motions languid and feather-light, tickling her labia and her small budded clit. After a minute of exploring her folds, Jon removed his hand and parted his mouth from Dany's just long enough to suck two fingers into his mouth and coat them with saliva. When Jon returned his fingers to Dany's pussy, they were wet and slid easily around her delicate flesh.

Dany sighed contentedly against Jon's mouth. They did not reconnect their lips. Rather, they just lied with one another, pressed together, breathing deeply into each other's mouths. Jon's fingertips caressed Dany's entrance, feeling her natural juices as they percolated from her depths.

When Jon felt Dany's hand palm his erection, he softly said, "Don't try to pleasure me, Daisy."

Dutifully, Dany removed her hand and rested it at her own side. She lay like a plank, save for her parted legs.

"Don't think about me," Jon whispered as he slid his hand lower to stroke his middle finger around her little anus. "Don't think about work. Don't think about anything. Free your mind, and just relax into the mattress." He massaged her tight ring of muscle, feeling it pucker and unpucker around his finger tip. "Close your eyes," he whispered, and Dany complied.

Dany instinctively began to gyrate her hips against Jon's hand.

"Relax your body," Jon instructed. "Don't try to make anything happen. Just let me take care of you. Let me take care of everything."

Dany followed Jon's soothing voice, relaxing her body into the mattress. Jon slid his hand back up, his fingers finding her clit again, now a swollen nub. Jon rubbed it in soft circles, listening intently to the shifts in Dany's breathing. Slow even breaths morphed into quick shallow breaths. Her muscles went from relaxed to tensing sporadically and quivering under Jon's touch. When quiet squeals squeaked through Dany's throat, Jon knew she was coming.

It wasn't the most intense orgasm Jon had given her, but that wasn't the point. Jon massaged her clit as her body quaked, and after half a minute, Jon ceased his movements and cupped Dany's sex. Her body slumped, eyes still shut, and within a few moments, Dany was asleep. Jon soon fell asleep as well, hand still cradled against Dany's wet pussy.

* * * * *

Jon awoke well before Dany did that Saturday morning. He untangled himself from her carefully and slid out of bed, needing to prepare things before they could begin their morning activities. It involved Jon running to the CVS on the corner. He left a note for Dany on the nightstand just in case she woke up before he returned. It instructed her to remain in bed, and not to get out of bed for any reason.

However, when Jon returned with a shopping bag full of supplies, Dany was still fast asleep. She did not snore. She only heaved soft, drawn out breaths against the pillow as she lied on her belly, blankets covering her up to her waist. Jon set up the supplies in his bathroom and did any necessary cleaning. He then went into the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee for himself to drink and for Dany to enjoy the aroma of.

Like a good girl, Dany did not wake up until Jon was ready for her to. It was eight o'clock and even with Jon's view of a brick wall, yellow sunlight streamed in through the slats in the blinds, giving the apartment a warmth that was absent during the night. Still, Jon had turned a space heater on and set it in the bathroom so that Dany would not shiver once in there.

"Daisy girl," Jon cooed, stroking his palm down her spine. "Time to wake up."

A sleepy moan was Dany's response.

Smiling, Jon leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder. "I'm going to tie your hands behind your back now," Jon said, to which Dany gave another soft moan, muscles stirring with new wakefulness.

Jon took a thin, soft-fiber rope from the dining table and proceeded to fasten Dany's wrists behind her back. When that was done, Jon helped Dany to roll over til she was sitting up on the mattress, eyes still shut. Jon removed the blankets from her completely, then slid his arm under her knees, the other arm under her shoulders, and lifted her. Cradling Dany to his chest, Jon carried her into the bathroom. Her naked body shivered, so Jon shut the bathroom door behind them as to keep the heat from the space heater confined.

Jon set Dany onto her feet in front of the toilet, rested his hands on her hips, and guided her to sit. Used to this part by now, Dany immediately began to urinate. As she did so, Jon pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Good girl," he whispered against her skin.

When her stream ended, Jon dabbed her with tissue, then flushed the toilet. Dany remained on the toilet, eyes finally blinking open to let the morning sun reach her irises. There was a small frosted-glass window above the towel rack that brightened the small bathroom without need of turning on a light. Dany watched with bleary eyes as Jon smeared toothpaste on a brand new toothbrush and wet it under the sink tap.

"Open," Jon gently instructed, holding the brush close to Dany's mouth.

She complied, parting her lips and opening her jaw. Jon rested a hand behind her head, and with the other, he slid the toothbrush into her mouth and softly brushed her teeth in small circular motions, first along her bottom teeth, then her top. He brushed then the inside of her bottoms, then the inside of her tops. After, Jon told Dany to stick out her tongue and he brushed that as well. After a couple of minutes of this, Jon cleaned the toothbrush in the sink, placed it in the toothbrush holder beside his own, and filled a clean mug with water.

"Sip," Jon said, lifting the lip of the mug to Dany's mouth. She immediately pressed her lips to it, and Jon helped guide her head back enough to take a long sip.

As Dany swished the water around in her foamy mouth, Jon emptied the mug in the sink and returned it to Dany's mouth, telling her to spit. Dany tilted her head down and spit the water and toothpaste mixture into the mug. Jon repeated the process a couple more times until Dany had the minty taste she so disliked out of her mouth. Then, he brought a hand towel to her lips and dabbed them clean of any excess toothpaste.

Afterward, Jon pressed a small kiss to Dany's lips. "That wasn't so weird, was it?" he asked with a soft smile.

Dany returned the smile and shook her head. She watched Jon then go to the bathtub, plug the drain, and turn on the water. She thought excitedly for a moment that they would bathe together, but Dany soon realized that Jon looked and smelled like he had already showered.

Jon folded a towel and set it on the floor beside the tub. He set a plastic cup and a wash cloth on the corner of the tub. Dany noticed that in the other corner sat a collection of products, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. As Jon added a few bath beads to the water to make it smell of lavender, Dany understood what was happening. Deep down, she had known this was something Jon wanted. Whenever they showered together, he insisted on washing her hair for her and lathering her body. It was only a matter of time before he insisted on bathing her with full control.

Dany's heart pitter-pattered with excitement and affection. She vaguely remembered the day her mother taught her to shower by herself because, at five, Dany was supposedly too old to be bathed. She remembered how terrifying it was. She hated the tiled walls and the harsh spray of water from so far above her head. She hated having the frosted glass door separating her from her mother, obscuring her protector's figure and making Dany feel trapped and alone. She hated the sound of her mother's voice shouting instructions at Dany through the glass and the sound of the water hitting her delicate flesh so severely. She remembered staring at the drain at the bottom of the shower stall and being afraid that something was going to seep out of it and snatch her up. Without her mother in there to protect her, anything could happen.

As the tub filled with water, Jon came back to Dany, told her to lean forward, then untied her wrists. He re-tied them in front of her, so that her hands could rest in her lap. 

“Are you ready?” Jon asked, stroking a thumb across her cheek bone. 

Dany nodded. 

Jon did not try to pick her up and place her in the bath, as much as he wanted to. He was too nervous about his Daisy slipping and getting hurt, so he held her hands and guided her to the tub instead, keeping hold of her as she stepped carefully into the steaming water. 

“Is it too hot?” Jon asked. 

Dany shook her head, lowering into the pool and sitting on her butt. There was a soft gel mat adhered to the floor of the tub which cushioned her butt and made sure she did not slide on the porcelain. The tub was just big enough that Dany could outstretch her legs, submerging them fully. The lavender scented water steadily rose up her hips and waist. When the water reached the underswell of her breasts, Jon turned the water faucet down until just a small stream of water trickled into the pool surrounding Dany. 

Before dropping to his knees beside the tub, Jon shut off the space heater and opened the bathroom door half way to counter balance the humidity in the room created by the steam. 

“Let's get you all wet, baby,” Jon murmured, running his fingers through her silvery hair. When Dany smirked softly, Jon said, “Not that kind of wet.”

Dany held her breath, bent her knees, and rested down into the water until her entire torso, head and face were submerged. She felt her hair tickle her shoulders as it fanned out under the water. Jon had his hand tucked within Dany's grasp, and after she had been under for a dozen seconds, Jon gave her hands a slight tug and helped her to sit back up. 

With Dany now drenched, hot water trickling down her nose, chin and the tips of her breasts, Jon took hold of the shampoo bottle and squeezed a significant amount into his palm. Dany got a better look at the bottle as he did so. It was nice shampoo. Sulfate-free and specifically formulated to moisturize and be gentle on the scalp. Jon rubbed the shampoo between his palms, then lifted his hands to Dany's head, massaging the gel into her scalp to create a lather. 

Dany moaned softly as Jon's fingers caressed her scalp, eyes fluttering shut. She leaned into his touch. After a minute, Jon removed his hands and took hold of the plastic cup. He held the cup under the water faucet until it filled, then told Dany to tilt her head back. It was a slow process, Jon pouring steadily the water upon her head and smoothing the suds out of her hair and into the bath water. He had to go back for many cup-fulls, but Dany was loving the sensation, wishing it would never end. When it did end, Jon coated her hair with conditioner, lots of it to cover every strand. He tied Dany's hair in a bun behind her head while the conditioner settled, then began lathering her body with a special moisturizing wash. 

First, Jon lathered her shoulders and her back, then her chest and breasts. He had her lift her arms above the water line so he could soap up her arms and sides. Every motion was slow and sensual, though not particularly erotic. Dany watched Jon's concentrated gaze as he cleaned ever inch of her torso, but he was not concentrated on pleasuring her or even entirely on washing her. He was concentrated on not missing a spot, of not overlooking any fiber of her flesh. He needed to touch every part of her in a way that would make her feel how much he cared about every part of her. When she was all soaped up, Jon used the cup to rinse her of the suds. Soon, the bath water was opaque from all the soap. 

Jon washed her lower half by squeezing body wash into a terrycloth washcloth and dipping it beneath the water. He massaged the soft, soapy cloth against Dany's belly, thighs and vulva. He ran the cloth up and down the lengths of her legs before lifting a foot out of the water, one by one, to wash her heels and each of her little toes. Dany giggled when the cloth curved along her arches. After lowering her feet back into the water and ringing out the wash cloth, Jon leaned in and gave Dany a soft kiss on her lips. 

He untied her hair then, and rinsed out the conditioner until her hair was soap-free and silky smooth. 

Dany watched as Jon opened a drawer under the sink and removed a brand new razor. For the first time that morning, Dany was surprised and a bit nervous. She was always so worried about getting cut, even when she shaved herself. But she had never allowed anyone else to shave her.

“Face me,” Jon instructed, setting the razor on the lip of the tub. As Dany shifted positions to sit sideways, pretzel-style, in the tub, Jon took the bottle of conditioner and squeezed a small portion into his hand. “Arms up,” he said, rubbing his palms together. 

Chewing her bottom lip, Dany lifted her bound wrists above her head, straightening her back. 

“Don't worry,” Jon softly said as he smeared the conditioner under her arms. He rinsed his hands in the bath water, then filled the plastic cup with water from the faucet and set it on the floor beside his knee. He turned off the faucet, casting silence among them. 

Jon picked up the razor and leaned forward. Eyes focused on what he was doing, Jon dragged the razor smoothly upward the expanse of Dany's armpit, clearing away the conditioner and the stubbles of pale hair.

Dany's breath hitched at the sensation. Her body tingled as the blades both tickled and tantalized her.

“Are you cold?” Jon asked. She was shivering slightly, and her nipples were tightening.

Dany shook her head, and Jon continued. When he had finished both armpits, Jon dropped the razor into the cup of water, wet the terrycloth washcloth and smoothed it gently across Dany's now-hairless skin. When it was all through, Jon told Dany she could lower her arms, then he leaned in and kissed her again. 

“Stand up, baby,” he said close to her mouth. He held onto Dany's hands as she slowly raised from the water. Jon opened the cabinet under the sink and dug out a hand towel. He draped the cloth across the lip of the tub. “Rest one foot here,” he instructed. 

Dany's lips parted, looking down at Jon in awe of how far this was going. She remembered when she was twelve and she asked her mother to show her how to shave her legs. Instead of a tutorial, Dany got a simple three word response: “Don't cut yourself.” And boy did she cut herself. The first time she shaved her legs, more blood swirled down the shower drain than did in _Psycho._ After a moment's hesitation, Dany lifted her right leg out of the water and placed her foot on the towel. 

Staring at her pale leg, Jon lathered conditioner between his palms, then massaged his hands from Dany's ankle to her knee, coating her leg in a thin sheen of hair cleanser. Afterward, Jon picked the razor out of the water cup and pressed the blades to the base of Dany's ankle. He slowly dragged upward, making a seamless trail up to her knee. He made one seamless trail after another until he had shaved her lower right leg completely smooth. After rinsing her with soaked terrycloth and swishing the razor in the water cup, Jon repeated the process with Dany's lower left leg. 

“This isn't so bad, is it?” Jon asked her with a reassuring smile. 

Dany shook her head. No cuts so far. She never should have doubted Jon, not even for a moment. 

Jon shaved her knees next, and the curve of skin behind her knees. Then, her upper legs until her thighs were like silk. 

Just when Dany thought that was the end of it, Jon squeezed more conditioner into his hands and began to spread it onto her vulva. Dany shivered, her legs tensing as Jon's hand caressed the conditioner against her pussy lips. 

“Are you okay?” Jon asked after cleaning the razor. 

Dany gulped. “I don't know.”

Jon set the razor down and stood. He cupped Dany's face in his hands and gazed intently into her eyes. “I'm not going to hurt you,” he softly promised. “But, if you really need me to stop, just tell me and I will. I promise.”

Worry in her eyes, Dany nodded. Jon kissed her, then lowered to his knees again. He rested his free hand on her pelvis, then lifted the razor to her mound. In small, careful strokes, Jon dragged the razor along her pubis, shaving away all the stubble that surrounded Dany's cute triangle of fur. 

“Spread your legs,” Jon instructed. 

Dany scooted her feet further apart, growing more anxious as her inner folds became partially exposed. 

“Don't worry,” Jon said again as he pressed the razor to her fleshy lips. 

Using his free hand to keep her skin taut, Jon slowly shaved one pussy lip then the other until Dany's vulva was as smooth as her thighs. Jon soaked the terrycloth again, then soothed her skin with its warmth. 

“Turn around.” Jon cleaned the razor again. 

Dany complied, her nerves having almost completely left her as soon as it became clear that Jon knew what he was doing. He hadn't nicked her once, which was more than Dany could say about her own shaving outcomes. It was as if shaving her body had nothing to do with ridding her of her stubble and more to do with proving to her that she could trust Jon with her physical wellbeing, even with a razor blade pressed a centimeter from her clitoris. 

“Bend over,” Jon instructed, and despite the overwhelming trust Dany had in him now, her eyebrows shot up to the top of her forehead. 

Jon didn't need to look at her face to know her expression. He felt it in how the backs of her thighs tensed. With a small smirk, Jon asked, “Are you nervous I'm going to nick your asshole, or are you nervous about me looking at your asshole? Because, I've already seen it, Daisy. And I've already decided I adore it.”

Dany's cheeks blushed bright pink, and she chuckled awkwardly. 

“Bend over, baby,” Jon repeated, rubbing a palm over the curve of her butt cheek. 

Dany took a deep breath, then complied, bending forward so that her forehead was pressed against the tile wall. It was silly to be so self-conscious when Jon had seen and touched her anus before. But that was when they were in the middle of their sexual activities, and this activity was romantic for Dany and Jon, but not sexual. Without a healthy arousal, Dany's inhibitions were up, causing her to feel strange about Jon shaving her there.

But Jon didn't think it was strange at all. After all, it was just another part of Dany's body. In some contexts, her asshole was a source of lust for Jon. In others, not so much. But he would always adore her asshole no matter the context, because it was a part of Dany, and Jon adored each and every part of her. The eroticism did not come from the shaving, it came from Jon's wandering mind while he shaved her, when he thought of all the things he wanted to do with this cute little body part. When Jon was finished, he gently rubbed the terrycloth down her butt cheeks and across her anus, clearing away any soap and hair. 

Jon stood and reached into the tub, pulling the drain. The water immediately began to recede.

“You did so amazing, baby,” Jon said, cupping her face again and pressing another kiss to her lips. 

Jon took the fresh towel he had hung on the towel wrack and wrapped it around Dany's damp body. The thick material hung down to her mid-thigh. Jon held onto her while she stepped out of the tub, and as soon as both feet were on the floor, Jon scooped her up into his arms, held her to his chest, and brought her out of the bathroom. 

Jon set Dany down on the rug just before the foot of his bed, then proceeded to towel Dany off. He dried her hair and her face, her back and her chest, her breasts and her belly, her arms and her legs. He dried each of her feet and each little toe. He dried her vulva and her butt. He untied her wrists, tossed the wet chords aside, and dried off each wrist.

He kissed her lips once, told her to stay put, then retrieved a bag from the dining table. From it, he pulled out a dry chord, a hair brush, and a bottle of Vaseline lotion. After re-binding Dany's wrists behind her back, Jon guided her to sit upon the bed. Jon sat down behind her and ran the brush through her damp waves.

Dany sighed contentedly, feeling so clean and pristine, like a doll fresh out of the box. She felt brand new, and her hairless flesh felt so good against Jon's soft comforter. She couldn't remember the last time anyone brushed Dany's hair for her. It must have been her mother, or maybe one of the nannies. She could not imagine anyone would have done a better job than Jon. As with all of his ministrations, Jon was careful and gentle, slowly running the brush through every strand of silver hair until it was free of tangles. It took almost five minutes, and Dany had her eyes shut for most of it, relishing in the sensations. Jon didn't speak to her during it. He didn't have to.

When the brushing was finished, Jon bunched Dany's hair over one shoulder and begun to massage a hardy dollop of lotion into Dany's shoulders and back.

She moaned, head lulling forward. Jon rubbed the lotion in until the full expanse of Dany's back was moisturized. He helped Dany to stand, then lotioned her front. His palms caressed her chest, each of her breasts, both of her delicate nipples, and her belly. He stroked his palms up her sides and under her arms. Jon squeezed more lotion into his palms, knelt to his knees and lotioned each of her legs, feet, and toes. Standing back up, he rubbed lotion into each butt cheek and the valley between them, then thoroughly lotioned her vulva.

The whole while, Dany had a smile on her face. Jon went to his dresser where a thin white box was sat atop a larger white box. He opened the smaller one and from it, revealed a pink thong. It was sheer, something Jon enjoyed immensely in Dany's underwear, and the triangle of fabric was lined with a short pink ruffle. The ruffles continued around the waistband, and the back was just a thin pink strap that would hug Dany's butt crack. The sight of the lingerie instantly made Dany horny.

It made Jon horny as well, and he couldn't wait to see his Daisy in it. "I'd gotten this for when we were in Venice, but we never ended up leaving the hotel room, so I saved it," Jon said, leaning down to help Dany step into the skimpy garment. He situated the fabric in its proper place, then stood back to marvel at her appearance in the girly thong and nothing else.

"You look so pretty," Jon said.

Dany blushed, but agreed with Jon. She felt more pretty than she ever had before. That is, until Jon did something to make her feel even prettier. He went back to the dresser and opened the larger box.

"I'd gotten this for Venice, too," he said as he removed a blue dress from the box. It was a halter top, back exposed to the waist, and a circle skirt that hung to mid-thigh. Jon helped Dany to step into it, then he pulled the cool fabric up her body and fastened the pearl buttons behind her neck. After a few adjustments to situate the fabric just right against her curves, Jon softly kissed her cheek, then the other, followed by the tip of her nose and the center of her forehead. 

Dany was stary-eyed and breathless, like Jon had transported them to another realm, a realm where she was always pretty and perfect and calm. 

Jon rested his hands on Dany's hips and guided her to sit upon the edge of the bed. He went to his dresser again, this time un-lidding a shoe box. He pulled out a pair of flat, strappy sandals and brought them to Dany, affixing one to each of her small feet. Then, he grabbed Dany's purse from where she had discarded it haphazardly on the dining table last night. Inside, was her makeup bag, and Jon set the bag beside Dany on the bed. He carefully applied a thin layer of liquid foundation to Dany's face, then uttered another, “Don't worry,” before applying a bit of mascara to her eyelashes. Last, Jon dabbed a bit of pink lipstick to her lips and smoothed it down evenly with the pad of his little finger. 

“There,” he whispered through a soft smile. He lowered to his knees, parted Dany's, and crawled between her legs until his cheek rested against her chest. His arms circled around her, hugging her firmly, hands splayed upon her bare back, underneath her bound arms. 

Unable to hug him back. Dany tucked her head down and nuzzled her nose in his loosely curled hair. She wanted to say “Thank you,” but that would be against the rules. She wanted to tell him to make love to her, but that would also be against the rules. Anything she wished to speak would be against the rules until Jon prompted her to speak, but all he did was hold her, warming her with his body heat and his affection. 

She didn't deserve him, Dany decided. Jon was too good for her. To good _to_ her. He took care of her in ways that no one else ever attempted to, not for as long as Dany could remember. How could she deserve such care when her own parents never felt her worthy of it? They never helped her dress, rather criticized her outfit choices until she eventually, usually, got it right. They never taught her how to apply makeup – Missandei taught her via Skype, and it still, usually, came out wrong. They never put lotion on her dry skin or ran a brush through her damp hair so that it wouldn't dry in a tangle. They never ran a bath for her and made sure she was all clean before getting out. They never checked to see if she was brushing her teeth each morning, content to pay the dentist to correct any mistakes Dany made in her oral health. 

“I love you so much, Dany,” Jon breathed. 

The words pushed Dany's emotional control over the edge, and she begun to cry over Jon's head in thick droplets. 

Immediately, Jon tilted his head up, furrowing his brows at Dany with concern. “What's the matter? Are you okay?”

Dany tugged at her restraints, wishing she could cover her face with her hands and save herself the embarrassment of Jon's gaze on her quivering chin and leaking eyes. But that only made matters worse. How shameful she was that even now she desired to shield herself from Jon. Even now, she still wished to shy away from him. She wasn't a good girl. She was selfish, and set in her ways. 

“I've got you,” Jon softly insisted, standing and twisting his body to untie Dany's wrists. Once she was free, Dany succumbed to her shame and pressed her face into her hands. “Are you thinking about work again?” Jon asked her as he combed his fingers through her hair. 

“No,” Dany whimpered. 

“Then what is it? Did I do something you didn't like?”

The question only made Dany hate herself more. Why did she have to cry? Why did she have to continuously let Jon believe that he was doing something wrong? She shook her head rapidly, finally prying her hands from her face. “I'm sorry,” she cried. “You don't have to stop. I didn't say the safe word.”

“Your crying, baby,” Jon said. 

Dany wished to beg him to continue with his plans, but that would only further verify that she was a bad girl, not a good girl, and that Jon deserved someone better. 

“Tell me what's wrong,” Jon gently demanded. 

“I just. . . I don't. . . I don't know w-what I did to deserve you,” Dany whimpered. 

Jon was silent for a few moments while he raised his hands to Dany's cheeks, smoothing away the tears with his thumbs. “It isn't about you deserving me or me deserving you,” he said assuredly. “You and me. . . we fit, Dany. You need someone to finally take care of you in all the ways you've been neglected, and I need to take care of someone or else I just feel useless and powerless. I need to take care of _you._ I couldn't have done what we just did with anyone else.”

Dany blinked her wet eyes. “You couldn't?”

“No. Could you have let anyone else do what all I just did to you?”

Dany thought for a moment. She thought about the other men she had hooked up with, the other men she had gone on dates with, the other men who she passed in the grocery store and smiled at her. She would jump out of a ten story window before letting them look at her asshole let alone shave it. “No,” she breathed. 

“See? We fit. You're mine, but I'm also yours.”

Dany's heart leaped against her chest as if trying to catapult her forward, into Jon's arms. “Do you really love me?” she asked. 

Jon's expression flashed with confusion. “Of course,” he assured. “Have I not told you that a million times already?”

Dany cracked a small smile, realizing that he had indeed told her a million times. Each time Jon told her she was a good girl, each time he said how proud he was of her, each time he made her come, each time he said he forgave her as soon as she apologized, each time he soothed her after a spanking, each time he cleaned her up after peeing, each time he washed her hair, each time he carried her from point A to point B, each time he withheld his own sexual pleasure so that Dany could only get what she needed, each time he kissed her. It was all an “I love you” over and over and over again. 

“I love you, too,” Dany whispered. 

Heart warming to the millionth degree, Jon leaned in and pressed his mouth to Dany's, sensually moving his lips with hers and dipping his tongue into her mouth. He kissed her until the tears dried, and Dany was humming pleasurably into his mouth. 

“Are you ready to continue?” Jon asked her softly. 

Giddy with excitement, Dany nodded. It didn't matter what it was. It didn't matter if the next thing Jon did was french braid her hair or to fuck her mouth with his cock. She wanted whatever Jon had in mind, because she trusted him more than she ever trusted anyone. 

“Good. I'll go get you a sweater, and then we can go.”

Dany's eyebrows raised. She had learned to contort her expression in such a way that Jon knew without a doubt she wished to ask a question. 

“Are you wondering where we're going?”

Dany nodded. 

After a gentle kiss to Dany's forehead, Jon answered, “I'm taking you out for breakfast.”

Dany smiled wide, showing off her pearly teeth that Jon had so thoroughly, and so thoughtfully, cleaned.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update! I overestimated my ability to update while out of town visiting family. Hopefully a long chapter will make up for it. And hopefully there aren't too many typos. I suspect my proofreading game hasn't been on point during this vacation. Happy holidays everyone!

**JULY, 2008**

It was hot that Summer. Hotter than usual. The temperature rose to nearly one-hundred degrees in Pasadena. On that hot Saturday, Jon wished he could have spent the entire day at the mall, basking in the air conditioned halls and the Cinnabon scents that wafted through the corridors. But Jon was to be home no later than five. If he came home later than five, he could not help set up for dinner, and if he did not help set up for dinner, that meant he couldn't eat dinner. Those were the rules. Not the rules for the household, but rules for Jon. His half-brother Robb never had to help, nor did his half-sister, Sansa, and the younger three certainly weren't expected to do anything around the house. 

Jon walked in through the front door. The atmosphere was different in the Stark home. Even if you couldn't see anyone from where you stood, you could feel the presence of many under the same roof. The soft sound of TVs and video games, the sporadic thudding of toys hitting the floor, the swat of the dog door as Robb's husky wandered in from the backyard, the random high-pitched screeches coming from the girls' bedroom. One such screech had Jon climbing the stairs to check on his sisters. 

Tussling in the center of the purple bedroom between twin beds, the two girls, thirteen and eleven, played tug of war with a bottle of blue paint. Jon saw the catastrophe coming a mile away. 

“Hey!” he exclaimed, catching their attention. 

Arya, the younger, smaller girl was startled by Jon's voice and immediately stumbled to her feet, dragging Sansa down with her. A sharp gasp left Arya's throat as the paint spilled from the uncapped bottle and doused her t-shirt. Sansa scampered off of Arya like she had the plague, avoiding any mess on her own clothes. 

“What are you two doing?” Jon asked. 

“She keeps stealing my stuff!” Sansa exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Arya who was now covered in paint. 

Jon shook his head at their immaturity. “Go help her clean up before you two get paint all over your room.”

Sansa threw him an ugly face. “Mom says you aren't allowed to tell me what to do because your real mom fed you crack when you were a baby.”

“No one fed me crack. Now stop being an asshole and clean this mess up.”

Sansa's eyes bugged out of her head before she loudly hollered, “Mom, Jon called me a bad name!”

“I didn't call you a bad name,” Jon hissed at her, but the damage was already done. 

“Jon!” Catelyn Stark's voice echoed angrily from down the hall. 

Jon rolled his eyes and followed the voice until he wound up in his own bedroom, the one he shared with Robb. Robb was out with friends, but Jon's nine-year-old half-brother, Bran, was perched on Robb's bed playing his Game Boy. Cat, Jon's mid-aged step-mother, was sat at Jon and Robb's desktop computer, and Jon was a thousand-percent sure it wasn't Robb's files and browser history she was snooping through. 

“What are you doing?” Jon asked her, trying not to sound as frustrated as he was. 

Cat ignored the question, responding instead with a statement. “You have no business being in my daughters' room.”

“They're getting paint all over the place,” Jon argued. “What are you doing?”

Cat ignored the question a second time and responded with another statement, never prying her eyes from the computer monitor. “Sansa was with her friends at the mall a couple hours ago. She said she saw you hanging out with Mike Miller.”

Jon's brows furrowed, remembering how he had run into one of his classmates. “Yeah. So?”

“So, are you aware that Mike Miller was recently suspended for smoking marijuana on school grounds?”

Jon shrugged. “No. I don't know. I went to GameStop with him. I didn't read his diary.”

From behind them, Bran chirped, “I wanna go to GameStop. Mom, can we go to GameStop tomorrow?”

Cat finally turned from the monitor to stare intensely up at Jon. “Are you doing drugs?” she asked. 

“What? No! Why are you looking through my account?”

Turning back to what she was doing, Cat muttered, “Because I obviously can't trust you.”

Jon scoffed, turning around long enough to mouth all the curse words he wanted to say, but knew he couldn't. 

“I want you to pee in this cup.”

Cat's demand had Jon whipping right back around. She slid a plastic cup across the desk toward him. 

“You're kidding.”

“I told you, Jon. I will not have you under the same roof as my children if you're doing drugs.”

_My children._ Because Jon was not Cat's son, and despite him having lived in the Stark house for fourteen years, Cat never passed up the opportunity to remind Jon, and everyone else, that she was not Jon's mother and never would be. 

“I'm not doing drugs!” Jon insisted. 

“Then you should have every reason to do as I say and prove it.”

“I'm not peeing in your fucking cup,” Jon said before he could stop the words from leaving his mouth. 

Cat shot up from the desk chair. She was thin, but she was tall and held herself even taller. Her eyes and hands were like ice slicing through Jon's otherwise thick skin. She smacked him so hard across the face, his neck whipped to the side. “Don't ever speak to me like that,” she seethed. 

Jon responded to the slap with a stony glare. All the politeness he worked so hard to spread went out the window. He wouldn't even give her the satisfaction of soothing his stinging cheek with his own palm. But, a moment later, Cat swung her hand a second time, hitting him so hard he felt the impact against his teeth. This time, Jon couldn't help a physical response, and to his shame, he wept.

Cat leered, “And don't ever use that fowl language in front of my children.”

Jon was so overwhelmed by the burning pain on his flesh that he hardly registered Bran sliding from Robb's bed and quickly scurrying out of the room. It had been a while since he received two consecutive reprimands. He had lost some of his tolerance. 

“Take the cup,” Cat ordered, physically forcing the plastic thing into Jon's hand. “I don't want to see your face outside of that bathroom until you've done as I say.”

_Fine,_ Jon thought. He would sit in that bathroom for days if he had to, just to spite his step-mother. He hung his head as he moved down the hall to the second-floor bathroom, but only because he couldn't seem to suck the tears back into his head, and he didn't want his half-siblings to see him so weak. 

He locked himself in the bathroom, sat on the back of the toilet, shoes on the seat, and rested the side of his head against the window sill. Suddenly, he longed to be outside in the heat. He would suffer a million degree weather if it meant not having to be in this house any longer. Cat was still going through his computer account, looking for whatever she was looking for, and though Jon made sure to delete his history often, she would probably find things that she could convince herself were proof that Jon was a degenerate. Maybe Jon would finally get kicked out. Maybe that would be a good thing. He could drop out of school, get a job and an apartment, and just live his fucking life for a change. He could have his own room for once, and his own stuff that no one would just randomly snoop through. If anyone hit him, he would just tell them to leave. 

Outside the window, Jon spotted the neighbor girl. She was in her backyard, swimming in their lima bean-shaped pool all by herself. Swimming sounded heavenly to Jon. He watched the girl swim with jealousy in his gut. The girl had light blonde hair, nearly white, and fair skin. If she hadn't put on water-proof sunscreen, she could be waking up in the morning with a nasty burn. 

Jon knew the girl. Not personally, but they went to school together. She had been in several of his classes since their Freshman year, but she was one of the only classmates Jon had who never made any attempt to speak to him. She always kept to herself, nose in a book, or diligently taking notes in class. She had always been so waifish, but as Jon watched her float on her back in the water, he didn't see a waif anymore. It looked as though she had gained weight in the six or so weeks since Junior year ended, but the weight complimented her, giving her subtle curves and cleavage Jon could just faintly make out through her one-piece bathing suit. She was beautiful, Jon decided. _Please, let her have put sunscreen on._

Jon wasn't sure how much time was passing as he sat lingering in the bathroom without any intention of humoring his step-mother in her witch trial, and the only thing he had to occupy his mind was watching the neighbor girl from that second-floor window. _What is her name?_ Jon swore he had heard a teacher call on her in class. It started with a D. Something cute and short. _Daisy._ That was the name the teacher had said. 

When Daisy lifted herself from the pool and laid out along the concrete side, head rested on a folded, hot pink towel, Jon decided the name suited her. She looked just like a little flower, especially from Jon's vantage point. Her hair was fanned out, like white petals, and her skin glowed a soft golden color underneath the sun's rays. _Sunscreen!_ Jon wanted to shout. 

A short bit of time went by of Daisy just lying there, drying in the sun, when she reached for something tucked inside her towel. It was sunscreen! Jon felt a rush of relief wash over him. He even smiled. He watched her moisturize her skin with it – every inch of skin visible to Jon's eye. Suddenly, he felt a little pervy watching her massage cream into her thighs and around her bikini line, but Jon had this intense need to make sure she applied it everywhere. 

When Daisy couldn't reach parts of her back not covered by her swim suit, Jon grew frustrated. She needed help. Would she ask for help? Who was there for her to ask? No. . . she was all alone, just as Jon was. And she would get burnt for it.

When the sunlight began to fade, there was a knock on the bathroom door accompanied by the voice of Jon's father speaking his name. Jon quickly drew the window blinds, not wanting his dad to know he was spying on the neighbor girl. Then, he opened the door, letting Ned Stark in like this bathroom was his new office. 

“Dinner is on the table,” Ned said, “but Cat said something about you refusing to come out of the bathroom.”

“She wants to pee in a cup so she can see if I'm on drugs,” Jon stubbornly informed Ned. 

“Are you on drugs?”

“No!”

Ned shrugged. “Then who cares? Take the test, and when it comes up negative, this'll all be over.”

Jon shook his head, arms folded in defiance. “She's insane, and I won't humor her.”

Ned replied by giving Jon a stern look, a look that told him he was treading into dangerous waters, and he'd better get a grip on his language quick. When Jon shied under his warning stare, Ned rested a hand on his shoulder. “It isn't about you. It's about. . . She's just worried that you'll fall down the same path as your mother.”

Jon squinted his eyes up at his father. Even after all these years, he couldn't believe his father still believed that lie. “It has nothing to do with my mother,” Jon quietly argued. “It has to do with Cat hating me, and the fact that she has never wanted me here. For as long as I can remember, she has been trying to get rid of me.”

“That's not true.”

Jon could only laugh. 

“You don't like it here,” Ned stated, “and that's fine. You'll be eighteen in less than a year. You can go where ever you want then. You'll never have to see any of us again.”

Jon frowned. That wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to disappear and never see his dad or his siblings ever again. He just wanted not to have to suffer under Cat's rule anymore. He wanted freedom. He wanted control. But Ned couldn't see that. The older man believed that if Jon disliked one member of the Stark family, then he could do without the lot of them. Jon had no allies. No one would rally for him. No one wanted him, and certainly no one needed him. If he left and never came back, his father would still have five other children to take care of him in his old age. Jon was nothing but a burden, practically an orphan. 

* * * * *

**NOVEMBER, 2019**

As the bailiff showed the witness to the stand, Jon glanced back into the gallery. His gaze met with Dany's and she immediately gave him a “good luck” smile. So beautiful. Jon didn't need any more luck. He already had all the luck in the world. 

The witness, an elderly woman, with thick glasses and a pearl necklace, was sworn in by the judge, and the prosecution proceeded to question her about the night her home was broken into. 

“Do you see the man who broke into your home in this courtroom, Mrs. Schwartzman?” asked the prosecution. 

“Yes,” replied the weathered woman quickly, before pointing to the defendant. “He's sitting right there.”

Jon glanced to his right, where his client sat, a young man covered in tattoos and with a juvie record for theft. He sure did look like the sort of person who would break into an old woman's home and steal her jewelry, but Jon knew for a fact his client was innocent of this crime, and there was little Jon hated more than an innocent person being accused of something they didn't do. 

“No further questions,” said the prosecution. 

Jon stood, taking one last look down at his notes, gave a little tug of adjustment to his gray tie, then turned to look confidently at the witness. “Mrs. Schwartzmann,” Jon began, hands coming to rest upon his hips, “did I hear you correctly just now? You claimed that my client here is the one who broke into your home and stole your jewelry?” 

“That's right,” replied the witness. 

“Hmm,” Jon hummed, seeming to ponder the answer. “You saw my client inside your home on the night of the robbery?”

“I saw him outside of it,” answered the witness. “I was startled awake by the sound of glass breaking, and my back door opening. I pretended to be asleep while he came into my room and took my jewelry box right off my dresser--”

“But you didn't see my client in your bedroom?”

“I kept my eyes squeezed shut. Everyone knows that once a criminal knows you've seen his face, he has to kill you.”

Jon nodded slowly. Clearly, this woman was a fan of true crime television. “So, you saw him outside?”

“Yes. As soon as I heard him leave, I got out of bed and looked outside. I saw him getting into a car right across the street from my house.”

Jon nodded again. “Had you ever seen my client before the night you were robbed, Mrs. Schwartzmann?”

“No,” answered the witness. 

“No? Have you ever met a Miss Tatiana Masterson?”

The old woman seemed to ponder the name. “There's a girl on my street by that name.”

“Tatiana is the woman who lives right across the street from you, Mrs. Schwartzmann.”

“Oh, yes. I remember her. The dental hygienist.” 

Jon walked back to the defendant's table and picked up a leaf of paper. “Tatiana Masterson is my client's girlfriend. I have a sworn affidavit from Miss Masterson saying that my client was at her home, with her, the night of the robbery.” Jon handed the leaf of paper to the judge. 

“He must have robbed my house after leaving the neighbor girl's house,” the witness explained. 

“Must have?” Jon asked. He hummed again under his breath, seeming to mull the witness's assertion over. “Why do you think my client _must have_ robbed your home at all, Mrs. Schwartzmann?”

“Because I saw him outside my home.”

“Was anyone else outside your home at the time?”

“I don't know,” answered the witness. “I only saw him.”

“And it was very dark that night, wasn't it, Mrs. Schwartzmann?”

“I had my glasses on,” argued the witness. “I could see just fine.”

“Did you sleep with your glasses on?”

“Of course not.”

Jon nodded. “So, you put your glasses on before looking outside the window, and that was when you saw my client getting into his car which was parked right outside his girlfriend's house – the girlfriend who has sworn under oath that my client was with her that night?”

“Yes?” answered the witness tentatively, as if wary of falling into a trap. She needn't be wary, though, for Jon never trapped people. Trapping implied that they did not deserve to end up where they did. Getting to the truth was not a trap, but a liberation.

“How old are you, Mrs. Schwartzmann?”

“Eighty-four.”

“Eighty-four? Did you know that's my lucky number?”

“Objection,” stated the prosecution, the eye roll evident in his tone. “Relevance?” 

Jon smiled cheekily. “I retract my last question. Mrs. Schwartzmann, you said you waited until you knew the thief was out of the house before you got out of bed, is that right?”

“Yes. I didn't want to risk him seeing me. If he saw me, he would have killed me,” answered the witness. 

“How did you know the thief was out of the house?” Jon asked. 

“I heard him leave through the front door.”

“And how much time had passed, do you think, between the time you heard the thief leave and you getting out of bed?”

“I got out of bed immediately.” 

“So, a second after? Two seconds? Five seconds?”

“Well. . . I started getting out of bed probably one second after I heard the door slam shut.”

“Started?”

“What?” asked the witness.

“You said you started getting out of bed one second after the front door shut. How long did it take you to fully get out of bed. For you to be standing completely from the bed?”

“Oh. . . Well, I have arthritis, and my back is not so good these days, but I still move around alright.”

“I'm sure you do,” Jon said. “But could you answer the question, Mrs. Schwartzmann? How long did it take for you to stand up from bed after you heard the door shut?”

“Oh. . .” the witness pondered. “It probably was about thirty seconds.”

“Thirty seconds? That's not bad,” Jon said. “But, then you had to put your glasses on, of course. Where were your glasses?”

“I always keep them on my night stand.”

“Is that where they were then? On the nightstand?”

“Yes.”

“How long did it take you to put your glasses on?”

The witness pondered. “Only about five seconds.”

“And then you walked to the window?”

“Well, I put my slippers on first. Since my last fall, I'm not supposed to walk on the hard wood without my slippers on.”

“Of course. How long did it take you to put your slippers on?” Jon asked. 

“Oh. . . six seconds maybe.”

Jon nodded. “And _then_ you walked to the window?”

“That's right.”

“How long did that walk take?”

“Maybe another ten seconds.”

Jon nodded. “So, about fifty-one seconds all together, you'd say? Almost a full minute?”

“I suppose.”

Jon put his hands into his pockets, pausing for a few moments just to listen to the silence in the room. “Did you know that the average man can run one-hundred feet in about fifteen seconds?”

“One-hundred feet?” asked the witness. “That's fast.”

“I took a tape measure to your property, Mrs. Schwartzmann. The distance between your front door and the location my client's car was parked that night is only forty feet. Now, even if my client was not sprinting and merely. . . fast walking, to his car after supposedly robbing your home, do you think he would still be standing outside his car door when you got to your window a whole fifty-one seconds – nearly a full minute -- after the front door shut?”

The witness pondered for a few moments. “I don't know.”

“I mean, if it were me,” Jon began, “and I had just robbed a nice, elderly woman's house, I would have run as fast as I could to make sure I wasn't caught doing something so heinous. When you saw my client beside his car that night, did he look like he was running?”

“He was just getting into the car when I saw him.”

“But, did he look like he was in a hurry?”

The witness pondered. “I don't know. He just. . . got into his car.”

Jon nodded. “What about after he was in his car. Did he seem like he was in a hurry to drive away? Did he pull his car out erratically? Did his tires screech on the pavement? Did he speed down the street?”

“I don't think so.”

“Well either he did or he didn't. Did he drive away quickly or not?”

“No. I suppose he drove away the normal way.”

Jon nodded. “So let me just try to summarize the sequence of events, and you can tell me if I'm getting it right. . . You heard the thief leave your home. A second after you heard the front door shut, you began to get out of bed, but it took you about thirty seconds to stand up because of your arthritis and your bad back. It took you another five seconds to put your glasses on, six to slide into your slippers, and another ten to walk to the window. Upon looking out of the window, you saw my client getting into his car after visiting with his girlfriend who lives right in front of where he parked, and you watched him casually drive away. Is that right?”

A few moments went by before the witness finally nodded. “Yeah. I guess that's right.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Schwartzmann. No further questions.”

* * * * *

Jon found Dany in the courthouse corridor after the juror's were excused for deliberations. “That was awesome,” she said, eyes big like she'd just come from a fireworks show. 

“If that was awesome, your standards are too low,” Jon said with a chuckle, wrapping his arms around waist. 

“I mean it,” Dany insisted. “Maybe it wasn't a multi-million dollar case, but you probably saved your client from going to prison. If I was on that jury, I wouldn't be able to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Jon smirked. “Well, you would never be on that jury, baby, on account of your sleeping with the defense attorney.”

“Even worse,” Dany murmured close to his lips. “I'm in love with the defense attorney.” Their mouths met in a deep, amorous kiss. When they parted, Dany's expression flashed with insecurity. “I don't know how you did that, Jon. How do you just. . . stand up in front of everyone and manipulate the whole situation like that, all while looking cool as a cucumber.” 

“Cool as a cucumber?” Jon chuckled. “The secret is, I know what all of the witness's answers are going to be, unless they lie. But then I get to prove they're lying, which is a much funner game.” 

“I mean. . . how can you be so calm with so much at stake?”

“Trust,” Jon answered. “My client trusts me, but even more so, I have to trust myself that I did the work necessary to win the case. If I have that, then even if we lose, I'll know it wasn't my fault. I'll know that there wasn't anything more I could have done. And then I can just look ahead to the appeal.”

Dany sighed. “I think we're just two totally different people in this regard.”

“You're going to do great,” Jon assured her. “I will help you, and I am sure there are a ton of people in our office who you can force to help you as well. We'll rehearse and rehearse until you can give your opening statement in your sleep.”

* * * * *

Dany spent the rest of Monday and all of Tuesday preparing for jury selection, and when that was through, she spent late into Wednesday preparing her opening statement. Jon helped her as best he could, letting her rehearse in front of him, but the real test came when Dany had to rehearse in front of all the Junior Associates sans Jon, who was doing a quick project for the partners. None of their co-workers had gotten first hand knowledge of how terrified Dany was of public speaking until that day. That evening, Jon was dismayed to walk into the kitchen and find a handful of them laughing together about Dany's stammering.

Theon lead the charge. "How do you become Senior Litigator when you can barely say the plaintiffs' names in front of an audience? That was my fucking case. I should be the one taking it to trial."

"Why _did_ she get that promotion?" a second associate asked. "I know she's a girl-genius, but come on. Dany couldn't litigate her way out of a parking ticket.”

"My theory is she's fucking someone," a third associate said. "Tywin hopefully. I cannot deal with the visual of that little woman underneath Robert's massive gut."

Jon interrupted his coffee pouring and whipped his head toward the small hoard of gossipers. “Hey, don't you guys have work to do?”

“Shit, I forgot,” Theon chortled. “Jon's a nark. He and Dany went to school together.”

“Nah, she's not fucking one of the bosses,” argued the second associate. “I mean, she's totally a virgin, right?”

Theon and the other burst in a fit of snickers. 

“Right?!” laughed the second associate with a wide grin. “She's totally frigid. I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a block of ice down there.”

Jon rolled his eyes, growing irate. “She's not a virgin, dipshit. And she's definitely not fucking one of her bosses.”

“And how would you know she's not a virgin?” asked Theon. 

Jon took in a deep breath, calming himself as much as possible. “It's like you said. We went to school together. I know things about her.”

“Well. . .” began the third associate. “Virgin or not, I'd fuck her.”

The statement got a nod of agreement from Theon and the other, and Jon left the kitchen before he punched all three of them in the jaw. As soon as Jon found Dany in the copy room, he wanted to throw his arms around her and hug her tight, giving her a thousand kisses, but he couldn't do that here, and he was also quite thrown by the sight of Dany making scans and fiddling with the finicky copy machine. 

“What are you doing?” Jon asked. “You should be practicing.”

“I can't practice anymore,” Dany replied, dejected and exhausted. “And I need to scan all these notes to myself, but I can't figure out how to work this stupid machine.”

“Hey.” Jon took Dany's wrist and lifted it from where she was tapping endlessly at the copy machine's touch screen. “Senior Litigators aren't supposed to be making scans. Let me do that for you.”

“Nooo,” Dany whined tiredly. “It would feel weird.”

Jon chuckled. “Why? You don't think it's hot when I do secretarial work for you?”

Dany looked at Jon suspiciously. “You don't think it's weird?”

“I'm not threatened, if that's what you're asking,” Jon answered. “This is work. Home is home. It's completely different. Besides, I'm actually a wiz at shitty copy machines. Let me make your scans, and you get back to practicing before it's time to leave.”

“Thank you,” Dany said, wanting so badly to kiss Jon, or to be kissed by Jon. “You're going to be there tomorrow, right? I don't know if I can do it if you're not there.”

“I'll be there,” Jon assured. 

* * * * *

It was nearly eight o'clock now, and most of the office had gone home. Dany had given up on trying to rehearse in front of the other associates. She figured speaking in front of strangers would be less stressful than speaking in front of those tools, so she was practicing alone in her office when Jon walked in, handing her her documents. 

“Scanned to your email,” Jon informed her with a smile. 

“Thank God.” Dany hurried to her desk and sat down, quickly clicking through her Outlook.

“Right here.” Jon pointed to her screen where the email had just popped up. 

Dany sighed with relief. “You really are a copy machine wizard.”

“That was my nickname in law school,” Jon replied cheekily. 

Dany turned in her chair and smiled appreciatively up at Jon, and it was not lost on her how devastatingly handsome he was in his blue suit. Dany took his hand, parted her legs, and slid Jon's palm up her inner thigh and beneath her skirt. His fingertips brushed her silky panties where they cupped her pussy. 

“Daisy,” Jon warned, squinting his eyes pointedly at her. 

Dany sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, not wanting to let go, and not wanting his warm palm to leave her flesh. But she didn't want to be naughty. She soon let go of Jon's hand, and he slid it out from between her thighs. With a small smirk, Jon leaned in close to Dany's ear and murmured, “Don't worry, baby girl. I'm going to make you scream tonight.”

A shudder rippled through Dany's form with anticipation. She purred as Jon pressed his lips to her cheek, then her lips. 

The sound of a throat clearing startled Jon back from Dany. Both their eyes bugged at the sight of Theon standing in the doorway. His eyebrows were up, his teeth flashing. 

“I guess this is how you know she's not a virgin,” Theon said before dropping the file Dany had asked him for hours ago on her desk. 

Jon glared at Theon's back while he left, then turned to cast an apologetic look down at Dany. She wasn't looking anywhere near Jon, though. She looked in a trance, a humiliation hypnosis, eyes trained on her desk. 

“Dany,” Jon tried, resting his hand on her shoulder. 

“I have to get back to work,” Dany said. 

“I wasn't talking about you,” Jon insisted. “I walked into the kitchen, and the guys were making wise ass jokes about you, and--”

“What were they saying?” she suddenly asked. 

“Just dumb shit.”

“What was it?”

Jon sighed. “They were just saying you were probably a virgin, and it bugged the shit out of me, so I told them you weren't.”

Dany was silent for a few moments before she turned back to her computer. “I have to work.”

“Daisy,” Jon said, another warning. “You are not working any more tonight. You need to relax, and you need sleep. You aren't going to help yourself tomorrow by staying up all night worrying about the trial and worrying about Theon. Turn your computer off.”

Dany hesitated, hand on the mouse. Everything inside of her was screaming at her to keep focused, to work just a little bit longer, but Jon's gravity was too strong, as was her trust in him. If Jon said she needed to quit working, Dany had no other choice but to agree. She moved the mouse to the Windows button and clicked shutdown. 

Without qualm, Jon leaned down and pressed a kiss to Dany's head. “I'm proud of you,” he whispered. “I'll meet you at the elevators.”

As Jon left her office, he noticed Theon lingering in the hall, smirking. Jon responded only by rolling his eyes and carrying on like Theon didn't exist. 

* * * * *

As per the usual, Jon followed Dany to her apartment, and by the time he was parked and opening Dany's unlocked door, she was dressed only in her panties and one of Jon's thin pull over sweaters. 

“Good girl,” Jon said with a bright smile, finally bringing her into his arms and holding her tight. “I'm going to take care of you tonight so that you're nice and relaxed for tomorrow.” He leaned back, gazing his dark eyes down at her. “But, you know I have to punish you for being naughty at work, right?”

“I didn't touch myself,” Dany quietly argued. 

“Using my hand to do it is still touching yourself.”

Dany pouted, casting her eyes down. “I'm sorry.”

“I forgive you.” Jon put his hand behind her neck and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He then took her hand in his and led her to the bedroom. 

“Lie down flat on your belly,” Jon instructed, and Dany climbed onto the bed. She lied down in a plank with her cheek rested on the duvet. 

Jon took one of the pillows and told Dany to lift her hips so he could slide it underneath. Now, her butt was raised above the rest of her, giving him a good target. Jon leaned over the bed and gently tugged on Dany's panties until they were sucked between her butt cheeks, freeing her supple globes. He removed his jacket and tossed it to the sofa. His hands went to his belt buckle next. 

Dany watched with wide eyes. Jon had yet to use his belt on her, though it had been a looming threat for a little while. Her butt clenched with nervousness. 

“Relax,” Jon softly instructed, smoothing a palm across her bottom. “If you clench, it's only going to hurt more. And I don't want to hurt you, Daisy.”

Dany nodded, forcing herself to relax. Jon bent the belt in his hand and tickled Dany's cheeks with the thick leather loop. “One infraction. One spank,” Jon said. He didn't want to give Dany any more than he absolutely had to, especially on the night before the start of her trial. He didn't want her flinching to sit down in front of the judge and jury. 

Dany nodded again to tell Jon she understood. 

Jon raised the belt, and quickly swung it down, snapping it harshly against Dany's cheeks. 

A sharp gasp filled Dany's lungs, and she quickly exhaled a string of curse words. “Fuck, shit, Holy fucking God!” she shouted, body twisting and legs kicking against the comforter. 

Jon's eyes shut, and he released a disappointed sigh. “Oh Daisy,” he said, “I wish you hadn't said that. Now I need to give you another.”

Dany whimpered, nuzzling her face into the duvet. Jon thought she may say the safe word, but instead, her head gave a slow nod. God. . . even when she broke rules she managed to be a good girl. This time, Dany clamped her teeth down on the comforter as Jon doled out her second spank, snapping her flesh once again and making her body convulse from the sudden pain. She moaned from discomfort into the comforter, but the pain quickly dulled. 

Jon dropped his belt, quickly kicked off his shoes, and climbed onto the bed to straddle Dany's thighs. He put a palm on each butt cheek and began to massage her softly, soothing away the sting. “Good girl,” he cooed. “Such a good girl. I'm sorry it hurt, but you did such a good job. I'm so proud of you.” He carried his hands upward under the sweater to massage Dany's lower back up to her shoulder blades. 

A low moan quaked through Dany's throat, and she finally spit out the comforter. When Dany's body was relaxed, Jon lowered himself down, hands planted on either side of Dany's shoulders. He kissed her cheek and murmured, “I love you, Daisy girl.”

She moaned again, but not from touch this time. Her eyes locked with his and she whispered, “I love you too, honey.” But her eyes quickly widened. “I'm sorry.”

Jon shook his head and smiled softly. “Don't apologize. When I tell you I love you, you're always allowed to say you love me, too, if you want. New rule.” 

Smiling back, Dany accepted a soft kiss from Jon. 

“You're not hurting anymore, are you?” Jon asked to which Dany shook her head. “Good. I'm going to get undressed. Feel free to move.”

As Jon disrobed by the side of the bed, Dany tentatively turned onto her back, feeling a slight sting on her bottom as it grazed her duvet. She shimmied the covers down the bed, folding them back so she could situated herself on the cool cotton sheet that lined the mattress. 

“Take your hair down for me,” Jon instructed before pulling off his under shirt to reveal his defined abs and solid chest. Jon wasn't a large man, and when fully clothed, his leanness could lead some to believe he was thin, but Jon was strong and kept himself fit in a way that made Dany's mouth water along with another part of her body. 

Complying quickly, Dany draped her braid over one shoulder and pulled off the white hair tie, tossing it to the floor before separating her locks. Her hair soon rested in pronounced waves down her back. 

“You're so beautiful,” Jon said with adoration in his eyes. Even with the oversized pullover concealing her arms and torso, Dany truly was breathtaking. 

When Jon was completely nude, he crawled to Dany and kissed her tenderly on the mouth, caressing her tongue with his for a good minute until drool threatened to crawl down his chin. “Let's get you off your butt,” he softly said. 

After one more swipe of his tongue across Dany's parted lips, Jon rolled onto his back and told Dany to straddle him. 

Heart thudding with excitement, Dany climbed overtop Jon, settling her knees on either side of his waist and sitting gingerly atop his crotch, his half-erect cock nestled under her panty-clad pussy. Jon ran his palms up and down Dany's thighs soothingly as he stared up at her deceptively timid face.

Indeed, it was deceptive. His Daisy girl soon started moving her hips back and forth, rubbing her pussy against his cock. Jon squeezed her thighs. "Did I tell you to hump me, Daisy?"

Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Dany shook her head, an apology in her eyes. Jon reached a hand under her sweater and pinched a nipple, eliciting a small squeal from Dany. "Do as I say, baby. Nothing else," Jon gently commanded.

Dany nodded and sat obediently still. Jon released her nipple and soothed the swollen nub with his thumb. "Turn around," he instructed.

How strange, Dany thought. But Jon knew what he was doing, and he promised to make her scream. Surely he hadn't meant from the spankings alone. Dany turned around until she was straddling him the same way, this time facing his feet. Jon's hand went to her hips and pulled her back.

Nervous and wet, Dany scooted her knees back until her feet touched the headboard on either side of Jon's head. She dared not sit, because just under her butt was Jon's face, so she stood on her knees above him.

Jon laced his fingers with Dany's in one hand to help her keep balance, and used the other to pull the crotch of Dany's panties aside, revealing a pink pussy glistening with arousal and a small puckered asshole. Jon guided Dany's hips down until her folds rested atop his mouth, and he licked her in languid motions with the flat of his tongue.

Dany moaned, squeezing Jon's hand and shutting her eyes. His nose poked at her entrance while his tongue lapped at her clit. She was soon gasping for each breath. She tried so hard not to gyrate her hips against his face, but as she reached climax, there was nothing she could do to keep from humping him. As the shocks of orgasm caused her body to convulse, Jon did not cease his ministrations. It took every bit of Dany's self control not to crawl away from Jon and save her clit from so much stimulation. When Dany's noises began to sound more frightened than pleasured, Jon pushed her upward to free her from his hungry mouth. She immediately sighed with relief, body still shivering intensely.

As Dany caught her breath, Jon commanded her to take his cock into her mouth. "Don't use your hands," he warned.

Though still reeling from her orgasm, Dany was ever obedient and quickly leaned down. She planted her elbow beside Jon's hip and parted her lips, scooping Jon's cock up from his pelvis and sucking the thick head into her mouth. It was fully erect now and fit snug within Dany's mouth. She massaged her tongue around the head, then lowered her lips. Just as Dany thought she might fit all of Jon into her mouth, she felt Jon's tongue on her again, but not on her pussy. Jon's warm, slick tongue was caressing her anus, so exposed in this position. As strange as it felt, it felt a million times more amazing, and Dany moaned around Jon's cock as she bobbed up and down on it.

Eventually, the pleasure got so great that Dany had to release Jon from her mouth less she choke through the attempt of moaning and sucking at the same time. But she was determined to be a good girl, so she continued to lick and press wet kisses to his member while Jon's tongue devoured her ass. As her second climax fast approached, Jon recognized the signs quickly, and pivoted. He moved his mouth back to Dany's clit, suckling the slippery nub, while he moved his fingers to Dany's anus. 

His index finger massaged the tiny ring of muscle. It contracted at the same time as her pussy. And just as a second, much stronger orgasmic wave crashed into Dany, Jon pushed his finger through the ring in a swift motion until he was wearing it fully.

Dany released a guttural groan, back arching, toes clenching, pussy and legs seizing. Jon quickly massaged the walls of her anal passage as he ravaged her clit with his mouth.

"Fuuuuuuuuck!" Dany shouted, bucking her hips uncontrollably against Jon's hand and mouth. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her body percolating with sweat all over. "God, fuck, oh my-- fuck!"

Naughty girl. She broke a rule again. But Jon would never dream of stopping her mid-orgasm. He finished her off, then carefully slid his finger from Dany's depth.

Quickly, Dany scampered off of Jon and sat back on her heels, hands holding her butt and staring at Jon with wide eyes.

Jon propped himself on his elbows. "Are you alright, Daisy?"

Dany nodded, but her bewildered expression remained.

"Tell me what you're feeling," Jon gently demanded.

"Surprised," she answered.

Jon chuckled and sat up. "You spoke during your orgasm. That's a no-no."

Dany pouted.

"I was going to let it slide, because I surprised you so much, but then you disobeyed me again by moving off of me when I told you to only do as I instruct you."

Dany nodded, hanging her head regretfully. It hadn't been the digital intrusion that caused her such momentary panic, but the steady removal of the finger. Dany had never experienced anything exiting her ass except for. . . And that was something she did not want to experience while straddling her boyfriend's face. But all was fine. Her anus sealed back into place as if nothing was amiss. 

"On your belly, Daisy."

Dany resumed her previous position, lying flat upon the mattress with a pillow propped under her pelvis. She prepared herself this time, biting down on the duvet before Jon began. One swat. Two swats. And Dany was a quivering mess once more. Jon was quick to sooth her sore butt with lotion, warmed between his palms.

When Dany was purring once more from Jon's massage, he turned her over and peeled off her panties then her sweater. Jon asked her if she needed to pee, and when she nodded, Jon took her to the bathroom and let her relieve herself. After cleaning her up, Jon brushed Dany's teeth using the electric toothbrush she had recently purchased. He quickly brushed his own teeth, then used a cleansing pad to clean Dany's face of any make up.

Then, it was bed time, and Jon tucked Dany into bed before going around the apartment to lock doors and windows and turn out the lights. As soon as Jon crawled into bed, Dany curled up at his side.

A minute passed of them just lying together, bare skin entangled with bare skin. Jon's cock was still hard, but the erection was dying slowly as Jon willed it so. Suddenly, Dany's delicate finger tapped gently the tip of Jon's nose.

"Yes, baby?" Jon whispered.

"I'm nervous about tomorrow," she mumbled.

Jon let out a sigh and turned to his side. He snaked his hand down and pressed on Dany's hip til she was lying flat on her back. He leaned into her ear and breathed, "Work doesn't exist right now. You don't even have a job. Your place is here, in this bed, with me." He moved his hand to her pussy, sliding his fingers against her wetness. "You have no other function in this world but to lie here, thighs parted, pussy wet, and waiting for me to make you come."

Dany whimpered into the night as Jon dipped his middle finger inside her pussy. Her own fingers twitched, wanting so badly to wrap around Jon's cock and stroke him, but that would be against the rules. _Do as I say, and nothing else._ He soon added a second finger, but rather than pump them in and out of her, Jon curled them upward and massaged her inner walls in steady strokes.

Dany gasped, reflexively bending her knees and spreading her legs wider, giving Jon as much access as possible. His mouth attached to her neck and kissed her flesh while he rubbed her insides in a way that filled her up with so much pressure she felt she would explode.

A sudden scream streamed from Dany's mouth and her body bucked like she was trying to shake a swarm of cockroaches off of her. Her scream soon morphed into a drawn out, shuddered groan as strong pulses of pleasure ravaged her senses. Jon eased his movements, slowing, slowing, slowing until he simply held his fingers still within her. Dany's body sunk into the mattress, her limbs going completely limp, and her eyes shutting without the ability to open them back up again. When Jon kissed her lips, she hadn't the capacity to pucker in response.

Keeping his hand tucked between Dany's thighs, Jon rested himself down against her, and they both quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

Dany went straight to the courthouse to meet with the plaintiff's before the trial's start time, and Jon went to the office to finish up a project before he would head out and watch Dany during her first real trial experience. It was nine o'clock when Tywin came to Jon's office. 

“I need your signature on this,” the aged man said, placing a legal form atop the mountain of papers strewn about his desk. 

Jon didn't think much of it. He was a lawyer after all. Most of his time was spent reading and signing legal documents. But when he looked over this particular form, he discovered it wasn't pertaining to any of his cases. It was pertaining to him and to Dany. 

“HR needs it,” Tywin informed, “so that you can't sue the firm for sexual harassment in the event that you're fired.”

Fucking Theon. . . And he had the audacity to call Jon a nark. 

“I hope you know,” Tywin said, “if this is your idea of ladder-climbing, you're hitching your wagon to the wrong horse. Daenerys will never make partner. Hell, we only gave her this recent promotion so that the judge couldn't say we were deliberately tanking the case by putting a Junior Associate on first chair.”

Jon's temper rose, but he hid it well. “Well, Dany isn't a horse to me.”

“So, you love her?”

“Yes.”

Tywin nodded slowly. “I suppose you're going to be heading to the courthouse soon, then, to support her.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Make sure she doesn't fuck it up.” Tywin tapped the document, reminding Jon to sign. After scribbling his signature onto the dotted line, Tywin plucked the page up and left Jon's office. 

* * * * * 

The courtroom was packed, the plaintiffs were briefed, and Dany had gone through her empowerment playlist with her forehead pressed against the corridor wall outside of the large room full of people that she would soon have to speak confidently in front of, including a panel of people whose specific job it was to judge her performance. But no amount of Beyonce or Miley could calm Dany's raging anxiety. She had to run to the bathroom several times just to blot the sweat that was seeping through her blouse. 

On her way back to the courtroom from the ladies' room, Dany heard her name being called. Not “Dany” though, but “Daisy.” She quickly turned and saw Jon jogging down the corridor in his suit. 

“You made it,” Dany said with a heavy sigh of relief. 

“Of course,” Jon smiled wide, clasping Dany's hands. He was slightly out of breath from his rush. “Are you ready?”

“No,” Dany whined, before looking around her to make sure no one could see her acting so frightful. 

“Do you remember everything you're going to say?” Jon asked. 

“I remember it now, but once I get up there. . .” She was near tears, body shivering with fear. 

Jon pulled Dany to the wall where they could be more inconspicuous and leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Do you remember when I shaved your pussy?”

Dany's eyes widened immediately, startled by the sudden turn of the conversation. Her eyes glanced rapidly around them to make sure no one was within earshot. When all was clear, she nodded. 

“I had a razor blade pressed a millimeter from your clit,” Jon said. 

Dany winced at the implication, as if she could feel the metal slicing the most sensitive part of her vagina. 

“One wrong move and I could have really hurt you, Dany.”

“Why are you telling me this? This is not making me feel less anxious.”

“Because. . .” Jon began, squeezing tightly her hands, “you trusted me. You were calm, you were steady, and you trusted that I knew what to do, and that I would make sure everything worked out. And it did. No cuts. No ouchies. This is the same thing, except instead of trusting me, you need to trust yourself. You've done the work. You know your lines by heart. Everything you need to succeed today is within you already. It's only when you doubt yourself that you slip up and make a wrong move. Trust yourself, and don't doubt yourself, and everything will work out.”

Quietly, Dany argued, “It's easier to trust you than it is to trust myself.”

“I know. But, just keep in mind that no matter what happens in there, I'm so proud of you, and we're gong to celebrate tonight.” Jon smiled. “I will take you out to your favorite modestly-priced restaurant, ice cream afterward of course, then back home for lots and lots of orgasms and cuddles.”

Dany's cheeks pinked and her mouth lifted in a semi-wicked smile. “For both of us, right?”

Jon chuckled and pressed his lips to Dany's, agreeing to her request. “Now get in there and kill it.”

* * * * * 

After an evening of sushi, ice cream, and a long walk along the Santa Monica coast, Jon took Dany back to her apartment and lead her immediately to the bathroom where he drew a bath and undressed her. This time, though, Jon disrobed as well, and when Dany was situated in the large tub, Jon stepped in after her. When he was seated in the pool of hot water, Dany immediately crawled into his lap, hooking her ankles at the small of his back and draping her arms around his neck. Steam enveloped them, filling the room and making Dany's skin glow. She pressed her lips to the tip of his nose, then bit down on her bottom lip. 

“You're so cute,” Jon murmured, lifting his hands from the water and smoothing his palms up and down her back. “What are you thinking about?”

“How much I love you,” she whispered. 

Jon smiled wide. “Well, it's only been about two months. I'm sure you'll get sick of me eventually.”

Shaking her head, Dany replied, “It hasn't only been two months. You're forgetting about all those years of pining.”

“Oh yeah? You were pining for me?”

“Ever since I was fifteen. Before then, actually. I don't think there was ever time when I didn't have a crush on you in high school.”

Jon leaned in and kissed Dany slowly. “I pined for you, too,” he softly spoke against her lips. “I pined for you ever since I saw you swimming alone in your backyard on that hot as fuck Saturday in July before Senior year.”

Dany leaned back to raise a suspicious eyebrow at Jon. “You were spying on me?”

“Maybe. I was watching you. For at least an hour actually. But, in my defense, I had nothing else to do, and you were really pretty.”

Dany's heart and body melted into Jon. She pressed herself to him and re-connected their mouths. For a half hour, they teased each other, washed each other, and teased each other some more, never quite reaching climax, but coming awfully close a few times. Dany would gyrate were pussy against Jon's cock under the water until Jon began to wash her hair. Jon would lather her body, stopping to massage her breasts and tickle her nipples. Dany would show Jon how long she could hold her breath only to slide her lips around his cock and caress the head with her tongue. Jon would stand Dany up to wash her legs and ass only to cover her pussy with his mouth and suck her clit between his lips. 

When they were all clean, Jon toweled Dany off in the bedroom. He sat her on the edge of the bed, and tilted her chin up so their eyes locked. “Only do as I say. Nothing more.”

She nodded eagerly with a puppy dog expression. 

“Lie back.”

Dany rested her back on the mattress, her damp hair moistening the comforter. Her butt was on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling down, toes just barely grazing the shag rug below. 

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Jon instructed. “But no touching your pussy or your tits. The only person who gets to pleasure you is me. Do you understand?”

Dany nodded and licked her lips as Jon stepped between her thighs and lifted her legs up, pressing her knees out and back so that Dany was spread open for him. His erect cock came to rest upon her pussy, and it clenched reflexively, trying to feel any bit of friction possible. Slowly, Jon moved his hips, gliding the underside of his cock across Dany's labia and rubbing her clit in even strokes. 

Already worked up from all the foreplay in the bath, Dany's body was ready for release. She whined at Jon's insistence to tease her further. 

“What's wrong?” Jon asked in a murmur, leaning down to capture Dany's gaze. “Do you not like it when I touch you?”

Dany whined again, frowning deeply at such falsity. 

“Do you want me to stop?” 

Dany shook her head rapidly.

“Ohhh,” Jon said, drawing out the word as he leaned further down. He seemed to slow his motions against Dany's pussy even further, causing another whine to leave her throat. “I see. You want me to make you come?”

_Yes!_ Dany wanted to scream, but she nodded demurely instead. 

Jon stopped moving all together, and Dany pouted. “Well. . .” he whispered, kissing her plump bottom lip, “I did promise you lots of orgasms, didn't I?”

Dany's eyes widened with delight, and her head bobbed. Jon's mouth met hers in an ardent kiss while Jon reached between them and guided his cock to her wetness. He pressed slowly and nestled deep, sliding through her pulsing channel until his balls rested against her ass. Dany groaned into Jon's mouth, her jaw going slack as he began to pump in and out of her. Jon leaned up, straightening his back so that he could look down upon Dany's gorgeous naked curves while he fucked her steadily. She was so warm and wet around him, and her body was already in a quiver. Jon knew Dany wouldn't last long like this, but he was done teasing her anyway. Jon longed for Dany to climax almost as bad as Dany herself. He pressed his thumb to her clit and began to rub it fervently. 

Dany gasped and groaned. She slapped her palm over her mouth to keep from shouting expletives into the air. She didn't want to get the belt tonight. She just wanted Jon to fuck her all night long. Jon braced a knee on the edge of the mattress and humped his hips faster and harder until each thrust elicited a quick slapping sound as Jon's flesh met Dany's.

Jon shut his eyes, fearful that if he continued to watch Dany's bouncing breasts and lustful eyes, he would surely finish himself off, and Jon wasn't ready to come. He held himself together while he fucked his cock in and out of Dany, keeping the same angle that drove Dany mad, and he massaged quickly her clit until Dany was twisting and shaking, hyperventilating against her palm. 

Jon then slowed to a stop, opened his eyes, and slid his cock from her depths. Dany's legs went limp, dangling from the mattress, and her head lulled to one side, completely spent. 

Running a palm up and down the center of her torso soothingly, Jon told her what a good girl she was, and that the fun was just beginning. 

“Sit up, baby, and turn around,” Jon instructed before leaving Dany to retrieve the hair brush set upon her dresser. 

With Dany in the middle of the bed, seated back on her heels, Jon sat behind her and ran the brush through her damp hair to clear out the tangles. It gave Jon time to calm his erection in preparation for a round two, but the nurturing activity also tantalized Dany enough to keep her aroused even after such a strong orgasm. 

After a few minutes, Jon put the brush down and pressed a kiss to the back of Dany's head. “Bend over, baby,” he whispered. 

Dany's breath hitched, toes curling. She lowered herself, resting her elbows atop the mattress. Jon took her hips and lifted her butt up until he could easily lean in and taste Dany's come. He licked her pussy, avoiding the over-sensitive clit for now, and drank up her fluids. He trailed his tongue upward, over the ridge between her womanly channel and her anus. He swirled his tongue around the tight ring of muscle and felt it pulse. Dany moaned, wiggling her hips slightly with pleasure. Jon caressed her with the tip of his tongue until Dany relaxed enough that he could press it through that tight ring. 

Dany gasped against the duvet when Jon slid his thumb into her pussy. Her fingers fisted the comforter as he massaged her slick walls. Jon slowly fucked her with his thumb while licking her anus, and when Dany began to shiver, Jon removed his hand and his mouth from her. 

The absence of Jon loving her physically earned him a whimper of disapproval from Dany. Jon chuckled softly as he raised up on his knees, his cock level with her pussy. “Do you like it when I eat your ass, Daisy?”

Another whimper, then a quick nod. Before her head could stop bobbing, Jon drove his cock into her pussy. 

“Unnnggg,” Dany groaned, not a real word, so it would not be against the rules. 

Jon kept one hand around her hip, pulling her back as he thrust forward, creating a powerful sensation for the both of them as Jon filled her to the hilt so suddenly and so continuously. Not being able to shout all the curse words Dany so longed to was torturous. She appeased her auditory reflexes by moaning loudly random syllables over and over. “Ah! Ah! Ah!” she chanted with each thrust. 

Pressure filled Dany up quickly, a pressure that demanded release. But just when Dany thought she couldn't be filled any more than she already was, Jon pressed his thumb, still slick with Dany's juices, to Dany's anus and massaged the rim until it bloomed enough for Jon to slide the digit all the way inside. 

Dany gasped, her lungs filling to the brim with air, jaw dropping from the sudden rapturous pleasure of being filled in both her channels. Jon fucked her with intensity, but was careful with his thumb, moving it just enough to give Dany that extra push over the edge. 

And indeed, Dany was pushed. She was pushed so far she screamed against the mattress and began to buck wildly against Jon's cock and thumb. All the muscles in her body tensed, her feet kicking. As soon as Dany reached the pinnacle of her orgasm, Jon finally allowed himself release, grunting loud and primal as his cock erupted, filling Dany's pussy with ropes of his semen. 

“Fuck!” he growled as the last of his seed emptied inside of her. He immediately stilled his hips. He slid his thumb from Dany's ass and gripped her hips, holding her steady and fully impaled on his cock while her body continued to convulse. “God, baby,” Jon groaned as he eased her from her climax. When her muscles relaxed, Jon carefully removed his cock from her and lied her on her side, her head upon the pillow. 

Jon lied down beside her, chest pressed to the backs of her shoulders, head propped up on his hand. With the other hand, he smoothed Dany's hair from her face, then pressed his lips to her cheek. 

“How do you feel?” he asked, just above a whisper. 

A soft, long moan rumbled through Dany's throat. She turned her head to blink heavy eyelids up at Jon. “Gooey.”

Jon snorted. “Would you like me to clean you up?”

Another moan. “Maybe. But I like it.”

Jon smiled. “I'm glad you like it. But, as a reward for being such an amazing girl today, and for not breaking any rules while I fucked you, I'm going to clean you up before bedtime.” 

“Okay,” Dany breathed, nodding her head. After accepting a gentle kiss to her lips, Dany expected Jon to carry her back to the bathroom to wash her of Jon's and her own fluids. Instead, Jon rolled her onto her back and pushed her knees apart, spreading her wet pussy open to the cool air. Jon sat up and gazed down at her womanhood, glistening with clear girl-come and leaking Jon's white semen onto the duvet. He caught the dribble of semen with his fingers and rubbed the cream around Dany's pussy. She flinched slightly from how sensitive she was after two powerful orgasms. 

Jon slid himself down the bed, laying on his front with his head between Dany's thighs. His arms were curled up her body, one hand flattened upon her pelvis, and the other gently caressing her breast, thumb swirling around her beaded nipple. 

As Jon lowered, following the aroma of Dany's pussy, she let out a quick squeak. When Jon's eyes turned up to her, she wore an expression like she wished to share a concern. 

“What is it, baby?” Jon asked. 

“Can I touch you?” she quietly asked. 

Jon smiled up at his beautiful girl and nodded before resuming his activities. Just as his tongue smoothed along her labia, Dany's fingers laced through the hair on the back of his head. With both hands, she softly massaged his scalp. Little moans left Dany's mouth as Jon licked the juices from her channel. Admittedly, he did not do a very good job of cleaning Dany, for he mostly just added another fluid to the tapestry – his saliva. But she tasted so strangely good all coated in both their come. 

Oh yes, Jon and Dany certainly fit together. Jon coaxed Dany to a third, more sensual orgasm with his mouth, tasting first hand just how complimentary their ingredients were.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, I changed the chapter total for this fic to 19. 17 had always been a guess, since I've been altering the chapter lengths in the editing process. 19 is probably what it will end up being, but I'm still editing the last few chapters so it could change to 20. We'll see. We're at about the half way point of the story now (:

**November, 2019**

The office manager bought an ice cream cake to celebrate Dany doing so well in front of the judge. Everyone in the office stopped by to pay their congratulations, and whether forced or not, Dany appreciated each one of them. At least Theon-the-gossip was good for spreading positive news about Dany as well. Theon had been second chair at the trial, and had steam coming out of his ears all the while the judge patronized Dany for being so young.

"How old are you, girl?" The elderly man in a long black robe had asked Dany from his high position.

Dany had wilted under his gaze, but only for a moment. "Twenty-six," she soon answered. A child by the standards of the court and His Honor.

The man had grumbled under his breath. "When did you pass the Bar? A year ago?"

"Four years ago, your Honor," Dany replied curtly.

"You passed the Bar at twenty-two?" His Honor looked suspiciously impressed. "I'll be looking into you, Miss Targaryen."

Dany had looked to Theon. He did not hide his scowl well. It should have been him making the judge suspiciously impressed, and even Dany would agree on that. But Dany was first chair, and no matter what cause the partners had to put her there, she was determined to see it through, even if she failed.

But she didn't. She did well, actually. She stammered not once, and she made eye contact with every juror. It was a performance, she told herself. Just say the words and hit the marks. Don't think about anything else. _Trust yourself._

And the following day at work, Dany got an ice cream cake and the pleasure of repeating the entire agonizing process, preparing for when she would soon question the plaintiffs on the stand. But she had a lot of help, from Jon most of all. He didn't know much about the details of the case, but he knew about being confident, and being sure, even when you have no confidence and you're constantly unsure.

He allowed Dany to take her work home in the following weeks as the trial went on. There was too much to be done for her to stop as soon as she left the office. Jon would come over each evening and go over her questions with her and help her pick out the right court clothes. But there was a rule. If ever Dany grew frazzled and overwhelmed, Jon would immediately stop her, take her to bed and give her a soft orgasm, enough to relax her into forgetting why she grew frazzled and overwhelmed. Sometimes, Dany didn't need to be frazzled or overwhelmed for Jon to take her to bed. Sometimes, he just wanted to touch her, lick her, or fuck her.

It was a grand system, Dany decided. She got to work as much as she needed to, but she also got to play with Jon as much as she needed. And Jon always knew which she needed at any given time. And with Jon coming over each evening, it meant Dany could go back to having daily orgasms, something she had missed in the time since the masturbation rule went into place.

They began sleeping together every night as well, mostly at Dany's apartment. This was key to Dany's success in the courtroom; she always slept better with Jon spooning her, and she woke up better with Jon brewing coffee in the kitchen and kissing Dany softly until her eyes opened. She stopped having to set an alarm. Jon liked to wake up first, so he set his own alarm on his phone.

Thanksgiving fast approached, and Dany would finally have a few days to not think about the trial and just focus on Jon. No more alternating between work and play. It would be all play, all the time, for the next four days at least. Jon had lots of ideas.

But first, their respective friends insisted on them partaking in Thanksgiving day festivities before their long weekend of love making could commence.

While Dany slipped into the outfit Jon had picked out for her, a red jersey dress with long sleeves and ankle boots, Jon slipped into the kitchen where his laptop bag was and fished from it his daily pill container. He opened “Thursday” and poured the various tablets into his palm. He filled a glass with water and managed to choke down each pill in one swallow. He quickly stashed the pill box back into his bag and zipped it up.

He pressed his palm to his forehead. Maybe it was all the extra physical activity he was getting lately. Maybe it was all the extra work he was doing between his two jobs and helping Dany in the off hours. Maybe it was that his doctor had him weaned off one of his prescriptions. But Jon had been suffering bouts of lightheadedness lately, with the occasional headache. It was better than the stomach pains he would get from the medication he recently quit, though, so Jon didn't want to complain to his doctor. Instead, he retrieved a pill bottle from his bag and dolled out a couple of tablets.

"What are those?" Dany asked, coming into the kitchen all dressed and beautiful.

Jon showed her the bottle as he threw back the tablets. Tylenol Extra Strength.

"Are you okay?" Dany asked, coming behind Jon and hugging his back.

"Mhm," answered Jon while he drank from the water glass. "Just a headache. I'll be fine." He turned in her arms and gazed down at her beauty. But the joy he felt from simply being with her was overshadowed by the growing guilt of his deceptions-by-omission. Jon still hadn't told Dany about the pills. He still hadn't told her a few things actually, and the more and more solidified their relationship became, Jon found it harder and harder to divulge certain facets of his life to her. Facets that, while Jon personally deemed them irrelevant to their relationship, he feared Dany would most certainly beg to differ. Despite his anxieties, Jon put a smile on and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Dany nodded, tilting her head up to meet Jon's kiss.

* * * * *

It was one o'clock when they were ascending the porch steps outside Missandei's house hand in hand. In Dany's other hand, was a fresh pumpkin pie that she and Jon had made together the night before. Well, that Jon made with Dany watching attentively. 

To say Jon was nervous was an understatement, but he hid his nerves so well that Dany hardly noticed. Jon knew that, being Dany's best friend and roommate at the time, Missandei would have had very intimate knowledge of what all went down in Berkeley, and Jon would be distressed to ever learn that Dany's best friend didn't approve of him being with her because of mistakes he made nearly five years ago. He gave Dany's hand a squeeze as the front door opened. 

“Hey!” Grey greeted them animatedly, pulling the door wide open and outstretching his arms like he was unveiling his home to an MTV camera crew. 

“Pie!” Dany exclaimed in response, matching his energy while she handed him the covered pumpkin pie. “Jon made it. I watched.”

“Awesome.” Grey turned his smile to Jon. “Hey, man. Long time no see. Come on in.”

Jon was relieved by the friendly greeting. 

“Dany!” hollered Missandei as soon as they walked into the small house's main room. There were five other young adults chatting and drinking beers in the living room, and little Nathan was running around in the backyard with an older girl – one of the other guests' tween-aged daughter. 

Missandei set a platter of food down onto the long dining table and hopped into Dany's arms. The women hugged like they had just come back from war. But that was how it always was for Dany and Missandei. Whether they hadn't seen one another in a year or an hour, the excitement was the same. 

“I brought pie!” Dany exclaimed mid-hug.

“Yay!” Missandei cheered before releasing her petite friend. 

“And I brought Jon,” Dany stated with a twinge of apprehension. Missandei had not seen Jon since Dany's Berkeley breakdown, and Dany worried Missandei held part of it against Jon. 

Missandei took in the sight of Dany's date with a sweet smile. “I'm glad you came,” she told Jon. “I don't know what you've been doing, but Dany has been one-thousand times happier these last few months.”

Dany's cheeks turned bright red. 

“Aww,” Jon cooed, bringing his arm around Dany and hugging her to his side. “I'm glad. As long as my girl is happy, I'm happy.”

Dany laughed awkwardly. “Okay, no more talking about me in the third person, alright?”

Ignoring Dany's request, Missandei pressed her hands to her chest and mused giddily, “I remember when she was fifteen years old and running home from school to tell me _'Oh my God, Missi. The cutest guy in the whole school is coming over to my house to hang out with me. What the hell should I wear? Do you think he's going to kiss me?_ ”

“Missi!” Dany exclaimed, face tomato red. She had thought Missandei bringing up Berkeley would be the worst thing that could happen at this party, but Dany was quickly realizing she was mistaken. 

“I'm sorry! Okay, I'll stop,” said Missandei innocently. “I'm just glad you finally came back.” The words were directed at Jon, a little nod to the last conversation they had, when Jon had come to their apartment in Berkeley the day after he took Dany's virginity. “Juts come back later,” Missandei had told him, standing out on the narrow sidewalk in front of their building. “She probably won't want to talk to you then either, but if you keep coming back, eventually she'll come around. You know Dany. She can't handle things. She gets overwhelmed. She needs a certain type of person. She needs certain things.”

But at that time, with Jon trying so hard to talk to Dany to no avail, he began to think he wasn't the type of person Dany needed, and that he couldn't give her those certain things. He had found the one person in the world who he felt whole around, and he had hurt her. He was no better than his mother, who loved Jon so dearly and yet harmed him so profoundly. If Dany would not return any of his two-dozen texts or his seven voicemail messages, and she would not come to the door to at least let Jon know she was alright, then Jon wasn't going to push her any farther. He wasn't just going to keep showing up like a stalker or a lost puppy looking for a home. 

Oh but he was a lost puppy without Dany, and he yearned so passionately for an ounce of the splendor he experienced that night with her. It wasn't about the alcohol, the drugs, or even the incredible sex. It was about her and him, together, the way it was supposed to be, but would never be again. 

* * * * * 

Jon poured himself and Dany a half-glass of wine, then went to find her in the backyard. She'd been watching Nathan play. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head before handing her the glass.

"Wine?" Dany asked, pleasantly surprised.

"It's a special occasion," Jon replied. "Tonight, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Dany lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Is this a _we need to talk_ talk?"

"No." Jon smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Just a regular talk. I want to tell you some things."

"Good things?"

"Things I should have told you a while ago. They aren't bad, though." But that was a lie. At least, they were bad from Jon's perspective. If Dany knew of his condition. . . if she knew the rest as well, it could change things significantly between the two of them. She would look at him differently. She wouldn't see the man who would always take care of her, or the man who was so thoroughly dedicated to her. She would feel bad for him. And then she would doubt him. She would stop trusting him. She would realize Jon wasn't who she needed.

"There's something I want to talk to you about, too, actually," Dany said, slightly bashful.

"Then we'll talk," Jon decided before kissing her once more.

Grey then poked his head out into the backyard to tell everyone lunch was served. Jon took Dany's free hand and lead her inside. 

The whole rest of the party and into the second, Dany fretted anxiously over the talk they would have that night. She wasn't thinking about what Jon wanted to tell her, though, rather what she wanted to tell him.

They had only been together for three months, but for Jon and Dany, whose high school fling lasted less than two hours, non-consecutively, three months together was a lifetime. And after experiencing what it was like to live without Jon for so long, Dany never wished to do that again. She wanted Jon around her constantly, possibly to an unhealthy degree, but she couldn't help it. Tonight, Dany would ask Jon to move in with her permanently, and she just hoped that Jon would see that it was what she needed. He always promised to give her what she needed. But also, Dany hoped that Jon wanted it, too.

* * * * *

It was ten o'clock when they left Sam's house where a bunch of Jon's colleagues got together for a pot-luck style Thanksgiving dinner. Jon and Dany brought more pie.

As soon as they got to Jon's apartment that night, they went into the bathroom to pee, Jon first then Dany, and then Jon undressed Dany down to her cotton thong. He peeled his blue sweater off and put it on her instead. Jon then scooped her up into his arms and carried her to bed. He kicked his shoes off and crawled beside her.

Facing each other, Dany took Jon's hands into her own and held them between their chests.

"Do you want to go first?" Jon asked, not at all ready to share what all he wished to share.

Dany gulped. She definitely didn't want to go first. What if what Jon had to tell her was that he never wanted to live with her? Or that he was one of those people who didn't believe in the institution of marriage? The pit in Dany's belly grew. She always wanted to get married, though she so pessimistically assumed it would never happen. Could Jon ever see himself marrying Dany? Not now of course, but in the future? Dany decided she would marry him tomorrow if he asked, but that only made her feel more foolish, and more nervous.

"It's okay, Dany," Jon spoke softly. "You can tell me anything. I told you on our first night together at your apartment. I will never judge you." Oh, if only Jon could have assurances that Dany would not judge him. . .

“I was just thinking that. . .” Dany began, “things have been really good lately, and I've been so happy. I'm always the happiest when I'm with you, and when I'm not, I just feel incomplete. As much as I like being in your apartment around all of your things and your smells, I feel like when we're both at my place, it's a real home. So, I was thinking. . . if you wanted to. . . maybe you could just move in with me.”

Jon's eyes widened, though he tried very hard to contain his immediate trepidation. He hadn't seen this proposition coming, but perhaps he should have. Indeed, they hadn't been together very long, but they _fit,_ and why should pieces that fit so perfectly ever be apart? He longed to live with Dany, but things weren't that simple, and try as he might, Dany still saw the reservation in this blindsided expression. 

“Never mind,” she quickly said, letting go of Jon's hands and sitting up. “It was a silly idea. Why should you have to give up your whole life and spend all your time with me? That's ridiculous. I don't want you to be stuck dealing with me twenty-four seven anyway. You would hate me. I'd probably start to hate you. That's a lie. I would never.” She moped, head turned away from Jon, more embarrassed than saddened, but saddened as well. 

Jon quickly sat up beside her. He wasn't sure if it was the overhead light, his sudden movement, or the stress of having hurt Dany with a simple uncontrolled facial expression, but Jon felt like his brain had been put through a spin cycle. “It isn't that I don't want to live with you, Dany,” he said, bringing his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “It's just that there are times when I need to be alone. There are things I have to deal with, and I can't have you around for it.”

Dany looked at him, dismayed by his frustrated look. Jon had never been truly frustrated at Dany. It was an awful feeling. “What do you mean?” she asked. 

“That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“You wanted to talk to me about not wanting me around?” Dany's eyebrows furrowed and she scooted back from him, suddenly too hot to sit so close. 

“No. No, of course not,” Jon replied with a groan. “I'm sorry. I have to get some water.” He swung his legs off the edge of the bed and stood, but as soon as Jon was upright, he lost all sense of himself. Everything suddenly felt _wrong._

“Jon?” Dany asked when Jon began to sway. She crawled across the mattress, but before she reached him, Jon collapsed like a tree that had been freshly sawed at the base. He hit the floor hard, and his whole body tensed and shook like he had fallen into a puddle of electrified water. 

“Jon!” Dany shouted in fright. Her heart rate went to a hundred in a split second, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe or how to walk. Her mind went completely blank. But then she managed to run to her phone and immediately dialed 9-1-1 as her boyfriend seized before her.

* * * * *

**MAY, 2014**

It was seven in the morning when Dany got back home. She had walked the entire way from Jon's apartment to hers. Almost two miles. Her whole body ached, but she needed the fresh air. The morning chill was the only thing that eventually stopped Dany's tears. 

She wanted to just slip into her bedroom silently, but she ran into Grey in the hallway as he was coming out of the bathroom, and she yelped in surprise. 

“Sorry,” Grey said with a chuckle. “Did you have a good night?”

Dany didn't answer. How could she answer? She turned and hurried into her bedroom, pushing it shut and consuming herself in solitude finally. Naturally, Grey told Missandei; Dany heard them speaking through the thin wall between their bedrooms. When Missandei came into Dany's room to check on her, Dany was curled up under her blankets, forehead pressed against the wall that her twin bed was shoved up against. 

“Dany?” Missandei asked. “Did you just get home?”

When Dany did not respond, Missandei came to sit on the side of her bed. 

“What happened?”

Again, Dany did not respond. She tucked her face into her comforter so that Missandei would not see her tears. 

“Shit,” Missandei hissed, resting her hand on Dany's arm. “What happened, Dany? Did that guy hurt you?”

Finally, Dany responded, but only in the form of her rapidly shaking her head. 

Confused, Missandei asked, “Well then what happened? Why are you upset? Sit up, Dany, and tell me what's the matter.”

After a moment, Dany slowly sat up, holding the blankets close to her chest. They made her feel safe, as did Jon's hoodie that was loosely wrapped around her form. It smelled of him. Oh, how she longed for him. The feeling that she would never be able to look at him again caused her such heartache. He may as well have been dead. 

“What happened?” Missandei asked again. 

Dany swiped fresh tears from her face with the sleeve of Jon's hoodie and spoke hoarsely, “I fucked it all up.”

“What? How did you fuck it up? I'm sure you didn't.”

“I did,” Dany state sullenly. “I told him all sorts of things I never should've.”

“Like what?”

“Like. . . fantasy stuff.”

“Fantasy stuff?” Missandei raised an eyebrow. “You mean, like. . ?”

“I was drunk, I think. And I took these gummy bears that had weed in them.”

“Oh, Dany,” Missandei sighed. “Did he take advantage of you?”

Dany shook her head again. “He took the gummies, too. He didn't even want to. I begged him like a fucking slut.” The tears came again, and Dany pressed the hoodie sleeve over her eyes, head ducked down toward her lap.

“Begged him for what? The gummies?”

“No,” Dany cried. “I begged him to. . . do the fantasy stuff.”

“Oh, no. It wasn't like. . . like, the stuff you told me about that one day when we were talking about--”

“Yes,” Dany said, willing Missandei not to finish that sentence. “But, you're not supposed to actually do fantasy stuff. That's why it's a fantasy. But, I begged him. I forced him.”

“What exactly did you do? Did you have sex?”

Dany nodded, frowning deeply. 

“Was it painful?” Missandei asked, knowing Dany was a virgin. 

Dany shook her head. “I little.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“I mean. . . yeah.”

“Did _he_ enjoy it?”

“I don't know,” Dany mumbled morosely. 

“What did he say afterward?”

“I don't think he said anything, but I fell asleep really fast.”

“But, what did he say when you woke up?”

Dany gulped, wracking her brain for any memory of Jon's words. All she remembered was panic. Her panic. And her puke that Jon would have to clean off his floor. She groaned with humiliation. 

Under the covers, Dany's phone buzzed, buzzed, buzzed. It was a phone call. Dany looked at the screen to see Jon's name. Her heart seized in her chest, and she quickly ignored the call. 

“You should talk to him, Dany,” Missandei said. “Just explain to him that you didn't mean to take things so far last night.”

“No,” Dany insisted. “I can't speak to him. I can't look at him. I can't be anywhere near him, ever again.”

“Dany. . .”

“You have no idea how mortified I am, Missi,” Dany moaned before crawling back under her blankets and holding her knees to her chest. 

Missandei sighed, and all Dany heard in it was disappointment. All Dany ever did was disappoint people. “Did you use condoms, at least?”

Dany nodded from under her blanket pile. 

“Get some sleep, D,” said Missandei, rubbing Dany's shoulder through the blankets. “You'll feel better after you've rested.”

But Dany was too in horror of herself to sleep. She laid in bed for hours. Eventually, the doorbell rang, and she listened while Missandei left the apartment to see who was at the gate. Dany had a sinking suspicion who had come by. She pried herself from the bed and stood up on the mattress on her knees, peering out her bedroom window to where Jon stood on the sidewalk just outside the gate. Her heart sank at the sight of him. She had never felt so conflicted. She wanted him to hold her and whisper sweet things into her ear. She wanted him to pluck a piece of gum into her mouth so she could stop tasting puke. But the memories of last night tarnished those desires. How could he hold her, be sweet with her, and plop gum into her mouth after she had revealed to him her deviancy. Jon wasn't there to cuddle her close and tell her everything was okay. He was there to check on the unhinged freak who had barfed all over his apartment before running away. 

Soon, Missandei appeared on the sidewalk and had a conversation with Jon. Dany wished she could hear what they were saying. But the only important thing was that, when the conversation was through, Jon turned and left. 

It wasn't until that night, when Dany finally ventured out of her bedroom to get a Pop-Tart from the pantry that Missandei informed her that Jon had come by. “He seemed really worried about you,” she said, worried herself. “He wanted to see you, but I told him you were sleeping. You really should call him back, though. I think this could all smooth over if you just--”

“I'm not going to talk to him,” Dany snapped. “It's done, alright?”

She and Missandei never talked about it again, and by the end of the week, Dany had deleted all of Jon's texts and all of his voicemails without ever giving them a listen, too scared of Jon's voice and what words it might speak. She deleted his number, too, so she would not be tempted to reach out to him again when she was horny and thinking about what he had done to her that night. She couldn't do that to him. Not again. 

* * * * *

**AUGUST, 2014**

It had taken Dany a full two months to come to terms with what happened the night of her birthday, but by that time, she felt it was too late to reach out to Jon. He hadn't contacted her since she deleted his contact, and he would be moving out of Berkeley soon anyway, if he hadn't already. Even after three months had passed, Dany still felt hollow without Jon. It was like Senior year of high school all over again, except instead of her parents or her age forcing them apart, it was Dany's embarrassment.

How stupid could she have been? Had she just played it cool, then everything would have smoothed over. If she had just talked to Jon about it instead of ghosting him, maybe she could have successfully convinced him that she wasn't that type of girl. She didn't want to be dominated. She didn't want to be tied up. She didn't want to be fucked hard from behind. She didn't want to scream obscenities while having her pussy and clit molested simultaneously. (But if she truly did not want these things, then why did she think of them each night while rubbing herself to sleep?)

It was too late, though. And whoever said _better late than never_ clearly never demanded the man they loved treat them like a worthless sex slave all night before puking all over their floor and stealing their sweater. An apology wouldn't be good enough. Dany would have to grovel, and she just didn't have the mental capacity to go through that. 

However, when Dany walked passed the Java Hut where she and Jon had had their catch-up date only to find Jon sitting upon the exact sofa where they had chatted for hours, Dany's heart seized in her chest. All she wanted to do was burst into the shop, fall to her knees, and profess her guilt over all that she had inflicted upon him during those infamous hours. She fiddled anxiously with the silver ring around her left middle finger.

He was sitting alone, sipping something from a hot to-go cup. Coffee. Jon was a coffee sort of person. No latte, cappuccino, or Americana for him. Just coffee. Hot and with a dash of cream. God. . . even Jon's beverage preferences reminded Dany of what they did together that night. She would go in, she decided. “I'd like to apologize for my behavior that night,” Dany would say. What would be the worst that could happen? He wouldn't forgive her? At least then there would be some closure. And, what would be the best thing that could happen? “You don't need to apologize,” Jon would say. “I'm not ashamed of your desires. They make me love you even more, because they're my desires, too. We can figure them out together.”

_Love._ Dany was a foolish, foolish girl. Jon did not love her. But maybe he could, if Dany could finally figure out how to _play it cool._

She inhaled a deep breath, channeled her inner Miley Cyrus, and marched toward the shop door. But, just before Dany pulled the door open, a young woman planted herself right beside Jon. _Right_ beside. As in, her arm pressed against his and their knees touching. The woman had a short cup in her hands. An espresso maybe, or a cappuccino. How fancy. The woman looked fancy, too. She was tall and slender, her legs long and her feet in very expensive looking boots. Everything she wore looked stylish, like she did all of her shopping at Urban Outfitters. And her hair was long and blonde, which somehow made Dany feel even worse. Nothing could make her feel worse, though, than when the woman turned her head and pressed her lips to Jon's. That is, until Jon lifted a hand to her cheek, the way someone does when they really like someone and want to make the kiss special. 

Tears stung behind Dany's eyelids. Her stomach churned and her skin felt hot. Before they broke their tender kiss, Dany turned and ran – literally, ran. 

Why could she not have learned her lesson in high school? That she and Jon were never meant to be together. 

* * * * *

**NOVEMBER, 2019**

Dany paid the cashier for her grande hot chocolate and clutched the Starbucks cup between her hands. She had called Missandei as soon as she got to the hospital, but she felt too guilty prying Missandei from her family on Thanksgiving night. She needed to stay calm, but it was so difficult when Jon was in the ICU, currently unconscious from the IV sedatives and medication. She was still wearing Jon's blue sweater, no bra. She only had the sense to pull on yoga pants and slide her bare feet into a pair of sneakers before running out the door to ride with Jon in the ambulance. She forgot even to bring her purse, but thankfully the hospital cafeteria took Apple pay. 

She sipped her hot chocolate too soon and hissed in pain when the liquid singed her tongue. She walked back to the ICU, nervous that she would find Jon in a worse state. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus was what the doctors told Dany. They explained it to her broadly, but she still had to look it up on her phone to really get an idea of what that meant. It was a disease where Jon's immune system would attack healthy tissue, and if not treated properly, could result in organ failure and death. 

The seizure had been caused by Jon not taking one of his daily pills, a medication with a long made-up name that Jon's physician had been weaning him off of because of the negative side-effects. They put the medication through Jon's IV. He would have to start taking it again regularly, despite the nausea it caused him. 

When Dany returned to Jon's room with her hot chocolate, mind in a flurry, there was someone else in the room with him, standing at the foot of his bed. Not a doctor, though, or a nurse. The woman was looking over Jon's unconscious form that was all hooked up with fluids and devices to monitor his vitals. 

She was tall, beautiful, and blonde. She was thin-framed, save for a heavily-pregnant belly that she held with one hand – her left hand, upon which was a shimmering ring encrusted with a flashy square-cut diamond. Dany came to a halt in the doorway, and the woman turned to look at her. Though older now, Dany recognized this woman from one of her most reviled memories. She was the woman from the Java Hut, the one who had kissed Jon – the one Jon had kissed. 

With a scrutinizing frown on her sophisticated face, the woman said, “You must be the girl my husband was in love with. Dany, right?”

* * * * *

**JUNE, 2014**

Jon had taken his last final a couple weeks ago and was looking forward to leaving Berkeley and starting a new post-graduate life. He had a few applications out to various grad schools, but he figured if no one accepted him, he would just spend the year traveling. This time, outside the United States. Africa, Europe, Asia. Central America. He thought about joining the Peace Corps – do something meaningful with his life while also getting to see the world and put his anthropology degree to good use. The farther away from California the better. Surely distance could sooth his soul, and maybe even allow him to forget about Dany. 

It had been nearly a month since Dany's birthday with no word from her in any capacity. Every day that passed without so much as a text to let him know she was alright, Jon was resolved to believe Dany had given up on him. How could she not? 

Living so close to campus, some of the closest places to get food were on campus, so Jon was frequently wandering around Berkeley even in the Summer session after he had graduated. Part of him ventured to campus intentionally, thinking that if he ran into Dany, he could convince her to speak to him, but he never did run into her. 

He did tend to see Ygritte, though, since she had a job at the Starbucks in the library that she wouldn't vacate until the Summer was through. He had picked up some Thai food from the Student Union and was making his way back through campus when Ygritte pounced on him, literally. 

“Hey,” she greeted him happily. “How are things? How is the girl?”

“The girl?” Jon knew who Ygritte was referring to, but chose to play dumb. He thought about Dany constantly, but that didn't mean he wanted to talk about her.

“Oh. . . So, not well?”

“If you're talking about Dany, that is not happening.”

Ygritte looked positively befuddled, even stopping Jon from his walk and scrutinizing his expression. “What did you do?”

“Why do you think I did something?” Jon asked defensively, before releasing his anger through a long sigh. “Look, it's just not going to work out. She doesn't want anything to do with me.”

“Because. . ?”

“Because,” Jon started with a groan, “we fucking hooked up last month, and it was a disaster.” 

“Aww,” Ygritte cooed like Jon had just shown her a cute cat video. “Well, first times can be really awkward.”

“It was not awkward.”

Ygritte raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“A lot happened, and I do not want to talk about it.”

Jon attempted to continue his walk in the direction of home, but Ygritte clutched his arm. “A lot?” she asked. “Like, you two fucked?”

Jon groaned again, begging for peace. He liked Ygritte, but she was pushy. She needed to know every detail about everyone's personal life, and Jon just was not up for having his and Dany's experience analyzed by her psych brain. “It doesn't matter what happened. All that matters is that when she woke up, she didn't want anything to do with me anymore.”

“That. . . doesn't sound right. We are talking about that little blonde chick, right? You mean, she was only in it for a screw?”

“No,” Jon insisted. “We were tipsy, and we were high off those fucking gummy bears you left in my apartment, and things got out of control. She kept saying all these things, wanting me to do these things to her, and I just lost myself in it all. And she never told me she was a virgin.”

“Oh, Jon,” Ygritte sighed. 

“I fucked up, alright? Now she won't talk to me. I've left a zillion voicemails and even more texts. I went to her apartment and she wouldn't see me. It's over.”

“It can't be over,” Ygritte said, looking genuinely hurt. “You have to try harder.”

“What more am I supposed to do, Ygritte? I'm not going to stalk her. I'm not going to force her to confront me. For all I know, she hates my guts,” Jon lamented. “And I guess your fucking theories were off. If she needs me so badly, why won't she talk to me?”

“Maybe she's afraid,” Ygritte suggested, though the words came out pessimistic. “You told me she's always been a fearful person.”

“She's always been afraid of public speaking. She's never been afraid of me. And if she is afraid of me, then that's more reason to stay away from her.”

“Jon. . .” Ygritte sighed. 

“What?” Jon snapped. “Why are you so invested in this? Why do you care?”

“I don't know. Maybe it's ironic that someone incapable of love would be a romantic, but I just think you two are right for each other. I mean, if your story was a book, you two would end up together.”

“Well, this isn't a book. It's real life, and in real life, things that should happen often don't, and things rarely work out.”

Ygritte sighed again. “Maybe she'll come around.”

“Maybe,” Jon muttered before turning away and carrying on toward home, but Jon wasn't too optimistic. He had seen the last of Dany, and he would probably never feel for someone half as much as he felt for her. 

It was a twenty minute walk back to his apartment, and he fished out his keys half-way down his block only to find that the front door to his building was propped wide open with a floor lamp wedged against it. There was a small UHaul truck parked outside the building. Someone new was moving in, probably into the recently vacant unit down the hall from Jon's studio. He had half the mind to move the lamp and shut the building door. It was unsafe to leave it open like this. But Jon decided to give whoever the new tenant was a break. He walked in and went to the stairwell. Half way up, he was met by a young woman descending the stairs quickly. So quickly, she didn't see Jon coming up until she was crashing right into him. 

Jon stumbled, nearly falling backwards, but managed to brace his fall by holding onto the woman as she too held onto him for balance. 

The woman cursed under her breath and quickly released Jon, standing straight up and chuckling awkwardly. “Sorry about that. Shit. I'm just running around with my head cut off here. I have to return this fucking truck in an hour, and my friend who was helping me move just bailed on me – Oh, I'm Val, by the way. You live in the building, right?”

“Yeah,” Jon said, a little off put by her rambling, but she was pretty and seemed nice enough, so what was there to complain about? He shook her hand. “I'm Jon. Nice to meet you. If you want, I can help you. I'd just need to put this away first.” He held up his to-go bag of Thai. 

“No, no. I can't ask you to do that,” said Val adamantly, but the look in her eye said, “Thank you so much, I could really use the help!”

Jon smiled, glad to be of use. “No worries. I'll be down in a minute.”

* * * * *

**NOVEMBER, 2019**

“I'm Val,” the blonde woman stated, extending her hand to Dany. It took Dany a minute to force her body to move. Her mind had already been jumbled by the experience of thinking Jon could actually die right in front of her, but this new development paralyzed her. Soon, she gulped and lifted her hand to shake the pregnant woman's. 

“Did you say _husband?”_ asked Dany, eyes darting from Val's eyes to her belly to the ring on her finger. Dany, too, had a ring on her finger, gifted to her by Jon, but it was not an engagement ring, and it did not sit on her wedding ring finger. 

“Did I? Sorry,” Val mumbled, rolling her eyes at nothing in particular. “Old habits. He's my ex-husband now.”

Somehow, that didn't make Dany feel any better. She turned to Jon, hoping he was awake to explain all of this, but he slumbered still. 

“Why are you here?” Dany asked Val. 

“I'm still listed as his next of kin. He never was good at staying on top of these things.” she replied easily, glancing back at Jon. Dany hated the woman's gaze upon her boyfriend. Jealousy. Confusion. It all bubbled up to form an annoyance that made Dany hate this woman shamelessly. “Shit, I'm starving,” Val muttered, rubbing the side of her belly like it ached. “Care to join me in the cafeteria? I just spoke with his doctor, and from the sounds of what Jon was given, he won't be awake for a little while.”

_Jon._ How dare she speak his name aloud. His name wasn't hers to speak. Not any longer. As upset as Dany was to discover Jon had an ex-wife he never told her about, until they had a conversation about it, Jon was still Dany's Jon. No one else's.

“You look trashed,” Val casually said as the two women walked down the hall together, far enough apart that when someone came walking in the opposite direction, they cut between Val and Dany rather than going around. Dany cast a glare at Val, though the tall, put-together woman was surely correct. Not only was Dany wearing a men's sweater with no bra, she was also sporting smudged eyeliner from all the crying before the paramedics showed up and all the subsequent crying right after they got to the hospital. And she was small. She never felt so small in her life as when she stood next to Val. Even pregnant, Val walked effortlessly in boots with a three-inch heel. 

Dany didn't say another word until she was sitting opposite Val at a cafeteria table, watching Val pour dressing on a build-your-own salad. “Jon never mentioned you.”

This caused Val to look up, halting her pour for just a moment. “Jon isn't exactly an open book,” she replied with a look that suggested that fact still bothered her. “The opposite actually. He's more like one of those diaries with the little locks on them, but you're always loosing the key. Except that he's much harder to just break open.”

Dany held her hot chocolate in two hands. She was slouching, which only made her feel smaller and younger, and like she didn't deserve to be with Jon because she was too small and young. She was fifteen again, standing on that curb. “I would have called his family, but I don't know any of their numbers,” Dany said. 

Val's head shook. “He wouldn't want his family here. Not even Robb. He would probably hate it that I'm here.”

“Why are you here?” Dany asked again. 

“I told you--”

“You didn't have to come,” Dany interrupted. “It's Thanksgiving after all. Shouldn't you be with _your_ family?”

Val was silent, staring down at her salad. Eventually, she answered, “I wasn't sure anyone would be here with him. He doesn't like for people to know about his illness. Most of his family doesn't even know. If he told you, that's a good sign. Or maybe it's a bad one.”

“Why would it be bad?”

Val sighed, then took a few bites of her salad before answering, “Jon was having symptoms even before we were married, but everything was fine until he ended up in the hospital. He was diagnosed just a couple months after our wedding, and it really changed things. He doesn't like it when people worry about him, and all I did was worry. So naturally, eventually, he started to not like me very much.”

Dany's chest ached with worry over Jon. She would die if anything happened to him. Her soul would wither away, and she would be nothing but matter floating aimlessly in this world, alone. Would Jon come to dislike her for that? Timidly, Dany asked, “Is that why you two got a divorce?” 

“No,” Val said. “Once Jon was on his meds and he was doing better, we got better. I didn't worry so much, and he stopped resenting me for treating him like he was fragile. He was actually a really good husband, and I genuinely believed that we would be together forever. But the thing is,” Val's eyes grew sad, “sometimes, you can love two people at the same time, but you're always going to love one of them just a little bit more. Once you figure out who that person is, it changes everything. Suddenly, you're willing to throw away the person you dedicated your life to, just to try and make it work with this other person who, relatively, you barely know.”

The ache in Dany's chest worsened. Suddenly, her jealousy turned to guilt. _“You're the one my husband was in love with.”_ Dany had broken up a marriage she hadn't even known about, without doing anything more than exist in Jon's memory. “I'm sorry,” Dany found herself saying. 

“For what?” asked Val, face contorting in something between confusion and annoyance. 

“Jon. . . he left you?”

“Yeah,” Val sighed. “He did leave me. But only after I confessed to having an affair. I was talking about me. I fell in love with someone else. I didn't know Jon still loved you until after the divorce.”

Dany's eyebrows raised, heart rate slowing. But now the jealousy that had turned to guilt was converting to anger. “You cheated on him?”

“Yup,” Val replied casually, but there was nothing casual about the sadness in her eyes. “It's the worst thing I've ever done. He was our next door neighbor actually. We both worked from home, so. . . But, I guess I can't say I regret it.” She lifted her left hand, wiggling her fingers to highlight the glint in the big rock on her finger. “He's my fiance now.” She rested the hand on her swollen tummy. “And the father of my baby, in case you were wondering if Jon is the father. We'd already been divorced for months when she was conceived.” 

Dany should have felt relief, but all she felt was anger. Anger that she didn't know Jon was married. Anger that she didn't know because Jon deliberately kept it from her. Anger that she was sitting and chatting with a woman who Jon had fucked, loved, and married. But most of all, she felt anger that this woman had hurt Jon.

“You're looking at me like I'm evil,” Val said with a soft, melancholic chuckle. “You love him, so that makes sense. You're probably wondering how anyone could leave Jon for another man. I would have wondered the same thing before I met my fiance. You should be glad, though. I mean, I loved Jon, but we weren't meant to be together the way I thought when we got married. Marrying him did lead me to the love of my life, though. And me cheating on him, and blowing up our marriage, lead him to you. _Back_ to you, I should say.

“You do love him, right?” Val then asked, almost protectively. 

Dany's anger increased. Val didn't get to be protective over Jon anymore. She had given up on him, abandoned him when he did nothing wrong, and then had the audacity to show up here and try to intimidate Dany. “I have loved Jon since I was fifteen years old,” she stated. “You're right. You and Jon were never meant to be together, because he was meant to be with me.”

Val quirked a smirk, nodding slowly. “Then you won't do what I did.”

“Never.”

“Good.” The word left Val's mouth quietly, before a sigh. She still loved Jon. It was obvious to Dany, but she didn't care. The only thing that kept Dany seated across from Val was the gnawing thought in the back of her head. Why had Jon married her? Did she give Jon what he needed up until she broke his heart? Was she like Dany in more ways than similar hair color?

After a minute of silently watching Val eat, Dany asked, “Can I ask you something personal?”

Val scoffed softly. “As if this whole conversation hasn't been personal?”

Leaning forward, and lowering her voice, Dany asked, “Did Jon ever. . . take care of you?”

A blonde eyebrow lifted. “What do you mean?”

“Like, did he ever do things for you that normal boyfriends, or husbands, wouldn't think to do?”

“Can you give an example?” Val asked, slightly annoyed, before taking a bite of her salad. 

Dany sighed, throwing away her scruples. “I'm asking if he liked to bathe you, dress you, feed you, tie you up and spank you over his knee while he called you his baby girl.”

Val choked. Lettuce fell from her mouth as she coughed. “Jon?” she asked incredulously, eyes bugging with shock and embarrassment at Dany's language. “That is not. . . Jon doesn't. . . Jon is not like that.”

A smile finally formed on Dany's face, content with Val's response. She stood and gave her parting address. “You can leave. I'll be taking care of Jon from now on.”

The smile held as Dany walked back to the ICU, but fell as soon as she entered Jon's room, seeing that his eyes were open and blinking heavily at her. “Daisy,” his groggy voice spoke. He swallowed hard, mouth dry and lips chapped. “I thought you'd left.”

Dany shook her head, stepping slowly to Jon's bedside. She took his hand into both of hers and gently squeezed. It was crazy how quickly all of her resentment left her as soon as she was back in Jon's presence. As upset as she was by Jon's secret-keeping, she was infinitely more comforted by his wakefulness. “I was just in the cafeteria talking to your ex-wife.”

Jon's heart rate monitor beeped faster. "She's here?"

"She was," Dany said. "She's leaving now, though."

Jon sighed, relieved that he wouldn't have to see his ex while conscious. But the calm was short lived as he quickly remembered that he hadn't yet told Dany about Val. He was going to. It was next on the docket right after confessing to Dany his condition.

But Val was the least of Dany's concerns. "Why didn't you tell me about the Lupus?" she asked. "Do you have any idea how terrifying it was to see you just collapse like that? To watch you have a seizure and not know what the hell was going on? I thought you were going to die, Jon."

"I was going to tell you," Jon quietly insisted, voice hoarse from sleep. "I was about to tell you."

"You should have told me a long time ago. We had this conversation, Jon. You have to tell me the important things. You having a chronic, life threatening illness qualifies as really fucking important."

"I'm sorry," Jon uttered. "I just didn't want you to worry about me."

"Because you'll hate me?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"Val, you're ex-wife, said that you resented her for worrying about you when you were sick."

"She said that?" Jon looked angered and he managed to pull himself into a sitting position. "That's bullshit."

"Is it? Because, you chose not to tell me, and there must be a reason why. Before you collapsed, you said that there were things in your life you needed to deal with alone. Is that because you think it would ruin our relationship if I had to take care of you for a change?"

Jon stared up at Dany, wanting so badly to dispel this notion. But his Daisy was too smart for that. She was spot on, and she knew it. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I just don't want us to change. I want you to see me as the man who can give you everything you need, not as the man who sometimes has seizures if his meds aren't leveled correctly. If you start monitoring me, micromanaging me, controlling me. . . I'll feel useless, and I probably will resent you. I want to take care of you, and I can't do that if you're busy trying to take care of me."

Dany softened, appreciating his honesty, finally. She lifted a hand to Jon's face and smoothed her thumb over an eyebrow. "You had the seizure because your doctor took you off a medication you shouldn't have been taken off of. It wasn't your fault. Why would I need to monitor you when you didn't slip up? And even if you did slip up, everyone slips up sometimes. But, Jon. . . you have a serious condition. Every now and then, you're going to need someone to help take care of you. I want to be that person."

Jon shook his head and looked down at his lap. "I don't want you to see me when I'm weak, Dany. It's not pretty. Some days I can't even get out of bed."

"Then we'll stay in bed together," Dany replied with a soft smile.

"Sometimes I get really bad rashes all over my skin. It's ugly."

"Then I shall put ointment on you and keep your hands busy so you can't scratch."

"Sometimes I get really constipated."

Dany shrugged. "That happens to all of us."

"Yeah, I remember the enema kit under your sink."

Dany blushed as she smirked. "See? I'm already prepared."

Jon shook his head slowly and smiled softly. "Just, don't start looking at me different."

"Don't worry. I will always need you to take care of me. But that doesn't mean I can't reciprocate once in a while."

"I will always take care of you," Jon insisted.

"Good." Dany leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Now let's get you feeling better so that you can take care of me at home. And then, we're going to have a long talk about how you never told me about your wife. I deserve better than that Jon. You need to do better."

"Ex-wife," Jon quickly clarified before letting out a long breath. "I know. I promise I was going to tell you tonight. I was going to tell you everything.”

“I believe you.” Dany squeezed Jon's hand. “Now believe in me.”

Blinking up at his girlfriend, Jon cursed himself for ever doubting her. Dany was right. She deserved better. She wasn't like Val, and she wasn't like any of the other women he had been with throughout the years who only wanted something casual, something sexual without purpose. Dany was the one, and Jon knew that. So why was he so hell bent on fucking it up? If he ever lost her again. . . Jon could not imagine the pain he would suffer, but he knew it would be worse than his diagnosis and Val's infidelity combined. 

“I do,” Jon soon insisted. “And I'm going to do better for you, Dany. I promise.”


	12. Chapter 12

**DECEMBER, 2019**

Dany had taken Jon home a day after he was admitted to the hospital and given strict instructions to resume taking daily doses of the medication he had quit. Dany drove them both to Jon's apartment, so he could be around his things while he recovered. He'd gotten a concussion from smacking his head on the floor as he collapsed; the pain was still there, and he was stomach sick from the flood of medication that Jon's system needed time to readjust to.

It was interesting as much as it was painful for Dany to watch Jon curled up against the toilet in his small bathroom, groaning into the bowl between hurling sessions. She stroked his bare back, running her palm up an down his spine. 

“I'm really through the looking glass right now,” she mused, smiling softly. Dany didn't much know how to take care of anyone. She never had any younger siblings, or even so much as a gold fish growing up. All she knew about nurturing someone she picked up from being nurtured by Jon, but that was different. Jon had never nursed Dany while she was genuinely sick, only temporarily ill from stress and nerves. “This was how me met, after all. Me puking into that nasty toilet, and you trying to comfort me. I'm sure I'm not doing nearly as good a job.”

Jon chuckled as he flushed the toilet. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned onto his butt, resting his back against the tiled wall under the towel rack. He appreciated that Dany wasn't a natural caregiver, because he didn't want to be care-given. He had thought he wouldn't even appreciate Dany seeing him in such a messy state, but Jon found himself appreciating her company and all the cute things she would say to try and lighten the mood. He felt like shit, but she made him smile still. 

“That was when I knew I was meant to be with you,” he replied with a hoarse voice.

Dany crawled to Jon and straddled his lap, hovering an inch above him as not to put any weight on him while he was so achy. She draped her arms around his neck and smiled when Jon's hands lifted to her butt. When Dany leaned in, Jon turned his head away. “Don't. I'm gross,” he said. 

“I never think you're gross,” Dany argued, tilting her head until she could press her lips to Jon's gently.

When she leaned back, Jon rested the back of his head against the tiles, wincing slightly, then he shut his eyes. “Tell me something cute,” he requested quietly. 

“Cute?” Dany asked. “Well, I found a bird's nest in that one tree outside the office.”

“No.” Jon shook his head slowly. “Something about you.”

“Hmm.” Dany thought for a moment. “I could tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

Jon lifted a smirk. “Tell me.”

Dany's cheeks were red before the words even left her mouth, and if Jon didn't look so in need of something to distract his mind, she would have been content to keep this secret forever. “I didn't get the enema kit because I was constipated.”

Jon's eyes opened, immediately meeting Dany's in a somewhat mischievous look. “Oh? Why did you get it?”

Dany was silent for a few moments, chewing her bottom lip as she mustered up the courage. “Well, I fell into a Reddit hole one night, and I was reading this thread where women were talking about how when they masturbate while giving themselves an enema, it's like the most incredible orgasm ever.”

Jon's eyebrows shot up, suddenly not so tired. “You made yourself come while--”

“No,” Dany interrupted quickly. “I was going to, but I chickened out as soon as I read the directions on the kit.”

To Dany's displeasure, Jon began to laugh. She sulked, hanging her head in shame, but Jon curled his arms around her and held her close. Even in his weakened state, Jon still felt so strong around her. Dany curved her back and rested her cheek on his shoulder. 

“I'll give you an enema,” Jon murmured close to her ear.

Dany groaned. “That would be weird.”

“No it wouldn't,” Jon insisted softly. “And I know you told me that secret because you still want to try it.”

“Noooo,” Dany protested in a quiet whine. “I just know you think it's cute when I embarrass myself.”

“That's not true. I think it's cute when you reveal things about yourself that you wouldn't tell anyone else.”

“Oh.” Dany leaned back, looking sheepish. “I told Missi, too. She also laughed.”

“That's okay. Lifelong friends get a pass. As long as she doesn't start giving you enemas, because that's my job now.”

“Noooo.” She covered her burning hot face with her palms. 

“I'm going to do it,” Jon teased. 

Dany shook her head rapidly, mortified, but also not completely hating the idea of Jon giving her an enema while she touched herself, just to see if those redditors were telling the truth – for anthropological purposes, of course. When she uncovered her face, Dany said, “Alright, now you have to tell me something.”

“I don't have any cute secrets like that,” Jon retorted. 

“Then tell me a not-cute secret. Tell me anything. Please?”

Jon released a sigh. He did owe her a few confessions after all that she was spontaneously confronted with just a few days ago. “Well. . . my dad is dead.”

Dany's face fell. After a beat to gauge Jon's melancholic reaction, Dany leaned in and hugged him gently. “When did it happen?” she asked quietly. 

“Two years ago.”

“I'm so sorry, honey.”

“It's okay,” Jon mumbled. “It's not really a secret, though, since my whole family obviously knows he's dead. I guess the secret is that. . . when he died, I didn't feel sad. I didn't even miss him really. I was just angry. He had stage four cancer, and as he was dying, I would stay with him in hospice a lot. I wanted to be there for him, but I also kept thinking that eventually, before he passed, he would finally apologize to me. But he never did. He died still thinking that what happened to me in that house for all those years was okay.”

Dany turned her face into the curve of Jon's neck and kissed his clammy flesh. “I'm sorry,” she repeated. “Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that if we pretend everything is okay, then it is okay. He abandoned you, but he still loved you.”

“Yeah,” Jon agreed shortly. “Is it wrong of me to think that that just isn't enough?”

Dany leaned up and looked into his eyes. “No. In fact, it's rarely ever enough. It's what you do with that love on a daily basis that matters. Giving love takes effort. Some people figure that out, and some never do.”

“It just sucks because. . . if he had just apologized – said those two stupid words – I would have forgiven him. But now I can't, and I don't know if I ever can.” Jon turned his head and groaned. “I need you to get off me,” he muttered. 

Before Dany could move a muscle, Jon took her hips and moved her just in time for him to lean over the toilet and expel more of the Gatorade that was the only thing that filled his stomach. When he was finished, Dany helped him up off the floor and lead him to bed, but Jon was hell bent on not going to sleep, as if napping made him weak. He stubbornly sat on the edge of the bed, making no move to lie down despite his dizziness. 

“I'm going to make you some soup,” Dany said. If he wasn't going to sleep, she would make him eat at least. 

“I'm just going to barf it up.”

“Then I'll make you more soup.”

Jon watched her move into the kitchen and start gathering ingredients from the fridge. Dany had watched Jon make soup from scratch a few times and was determined to accomplish such a feat of cooking all on her own. But Jon liked cooking for Dany. It was difficult for him to turn over that role to her and accept that he hadn't the stamina to fix his own meal. On the bright side, Dany looked adorable as she puttered around the kitchen, filling a pot with water and turning on a stove burner. She had showered before Jon awoke that morning. He hair was still damp as it was confined in a thick braid down the back of her head. She wore one of his flannel shirts; it hung down to the tops of her thighs. The fact that she remained in her uniform all the while caring for Jon in his time of need eased his tensions. Dany was still his baby girl, even if she had to cook for him for a change. 

By sheer force of will, Jon stood and went to the dining table, sitting down where he had a better view of Dany, and where he could better converse with her. 

“Did you ever meet my brother Robb while in school?” he asked. 

Dany looked away from her task of chopping carrots, somewhat startled by the randomness of the question. “I don't think so. I definitely never spoke to him.”

“He took Dad's death really hard.”

Dany set down the cutting knife, focusing fully on Jon. “Were they very close?”

“Yeah. Robb was always supposed to take over Dad's business one day, so he started working along side Dad right after high school and all through college. His death really fucked Robb up.”

“It sounds like it fucked you up, too,” Dany said, rather wanting the conversation to remain on Jon and his experiences. 

But Jon shook his head. “I'm used to being fucked up. Robb never knew how to handle that kind of shit. He fell real bad, started drinking a lot. Had to go to rehab after he got a DUI.”

“Shit,” Dany sighed. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah. I don't know. He, um – He and his wife were having a baby, so he'd been getting his shit together. But I don't talk to him very much anymore. Things just got too crazy with me. . . with the divorce and stuff.”

“You should call him,” Dany suggested. 

Jon watched Dany chop the veggies, and when the water on the stove reached a boil, he watched her scoop flavoring paste into the pot. Next came the dry noodles. 

“Did Val tell you why we got a divorce?” Jon asked. He didn't want to talk about Val. He never wanted to talk about Val, especially not with Dany, but there was no changing the fact that Val had been a significant part of his life for almost four years. 

Dany's sympathetic look told Jon the answer even before she spoke. “That's never going to happen to you again, Jon. I'm not the kind of person. And I would never, ever hurt you.”

“You don't think about being with other men?”

Dany's eyebrows furrowed. “Of course not.”

“I mean, not even in fantasies?” 

Dany released a breath. She scooped the chopped veggies into the pot of boiling broth and noodles, gave the contents a few stirs, then turned down the heat a touch and left the stove to stand before Jon. “I've never really been able to be with other men, even when I thought I would never see you again. I only had sex when I thought I needed it to breathe, and I always felt gross afterward. I never want anyone touching me except you. The thought of another man touching me makes me sick. I wouldn't be able to do it.”

“You're becoming less anxious, though,” Jon said. “What if, one day, you want to experience someone new. I wouldn't be able to do that, Dany. Not even a threesome with another woman. Especially not with another man--”

“I don't want a threesome.” Dany laughed at the absurdity of the notion. “Rule number three, remember? It's just you and me.”

Jon lifted a small smile. “Yeah, but you sometimes like to break the rules.”

“Not that one.” She pressed her forehead to Jon's. “I will never break that rule. I promise.”

“I believe you.”

“And you can't break it either,” Dany whispered.

“I won't, baby. Ever.”

Tomorrow was Monday – their long weekend over with. But Dany wouldn't go into the office tomorrow. She needed to make sure Jon was getting better. Every other obligation paled in comparison. After soup and more Gatorade, Dany took Jon to bed and insisted he rest. But rather than allow himself to sleep, Jon spent hours whispering his life story to Dany as she lay close, hand behind his head, gingerly massaging his scalp with the tips of her fingers.

* * * * *

By the following weekend, Jon was back to his usual self, but he did not hide his discomfort from Dany when his medication made him feel icky. He had promised her he would always tell her when he wasn't feeling well, and Jon had made Dany promise that she would trust him to know when he needed to slow down and when he was fine to push through. On Saturday, they hiked around Griffith Park, and Dany was somewhat dismayed to find she was so out of shape. She wanted to tell Jon he would have to carry her the rest of the way but refrained, knowing that Jon would likely do just that. 

Eventually, they reached the peak of the trail and Jon curled his arm around Dany's waist as they looked at the city below, stretching all the way to the sea. Everything looked so small and so close together. 

“I want to do something new tonight,” Jon said. “I'd planned it for Thanksgiving, but that didn't work out.”

“Okay,” Dany murmured, relaxing against his side and wrapped her own arms around his middle. 

Jon pressed a kiss to the top of Dany's head. “I'm still thinking about it, you know. I haven't forgotten.”

Dany tilted her head up to meet his eye. “I don't want to force you.”

“You're not,” he stated. “I want to live with you. I just need it to happen at the right time.”

“Okay.”

“Are you sure you want our dynamic seven days a week?”

“Three-sixty-five,” Dany answered, quietly but confidently. 

Jon smiled, lifting a hand to stroke her cheek. “Soon,” he promised.

* * * * *

“I need you to relax, baby,” Jon cooed as he smoothed his palms around Dany's butt cheeks. 

She was in a ball with her wrists tied behind her back, knees and forehead pressed into her mattress, butt in the air. She had gotten sweaty on their hike which made her feel icky, so Jon gave her a bath before taking her to bed. Her wrists stayed bound through the whole process, save for the few seconds it took for Jon to replace the wet restraints with dry ones before positioning her the way she was now. 

She had her cheek rested on the mattress when Jon brought out a narrow box, almost like a shoe box. He opened the lid in front of her sight and removed from it a translucent glass instrument. It looked like a small dildo, the length of Jon's fingers. It was tapered in a sort of rounded pyramid shape, the tip smooth and narrow, gradually growing as wide as the caps on Jon's Gatorade bottles before sharply ending in a thin post an inch long and ending with a flat, circular base. The base was affixed with a shimmering glass jewel. 

Dany knew exactly what it was, and she was struck by a mixture of excitement and trepidation. She had never used a butt plug before, even a small one such as that. The only thing to ever be inserted into her ass was Jon's tongue and fingers, but always while he was pleasuring her pussy simultaneously. 

Jon had set the butt plug beside Dany's legs along with a bottle of silicone lube. Then, he took to massaging Dany's butt softly. “Relax,” he cooed. “There's no need to worry. I'm going to be very gentle with you, Daisy. I'm going to get it really slick, I'm going to make you feel very relaxed, then I'm going to softly push the plug into your ass, and we can lay together for a while. Does that sound nice?”

“Yes,” Dany answered quietly, though her anus was puckered tight, wary of intrusion. 

But Jon was always good to her – every part of her. He would never put anything inside of her unless he was sure she was ready for it. He doled out a generous amount of lube into his fingers and immediately rubbed his oiled fingers across Dany's pussy, coating her outer lips before sliding a finger between them to stroke the length of her labia. Dany purred, pressing back against his hand as his finger circled her clit. He made languid motions. Not enough to rile Dany up, but enough to awaken her desire and push her anxieties into the background. Jon's eyes were trained on her little anus, watching it flex as he pleasured Dany. 

He removed his hand and squeezed more lube onto his fingers, this time smearing the clear fluid across the canyon between her butt cheeks. Her fair skin glistened. 

“Relax,” Jon murmured, doling out even more lube and pressing the fluid directly to Dany's anus. 

She flinched slightly, mostly from the chill of the product, but her body temperature soon warmed it enough that she could really relish in the feeling of Jon massaging it into the tight ring of muscle that was once so bashful, but now so hungry. She gasped when Jon's index finger pressed through the tight threshold. He stopped when he reached the second knuckle, and slowly began to massage her walls, applying just enough pressure for Dany to crave more. 

After a minute, Jon removed his finger and picked up the butt plug. He slathered it in lube, stroking the liquid all around the bulbous glass until it was coated. He slid his free hand into Dany's where they were bound at the small of her back. Her flexing fingers clamped tightly onto Jon's palm. 

“Deep breaths,” Jon instructed. “Breathe into your belly until it's full, then exhale slowly. 

It was difficult to expand her belly in her position, but Dany managed. She breathed deep and slow, eyes closed. The cool, slick glass met her anus, but she kept on breathing. In, out, in, out. As her nose expelled the air which inflated her belly, the glass pushed forth, expanding her anus and filling her channel. She groan a wary whimper, and Jon stopped. Dany took another deep breath, and as she exhaled, Jon pushed the plug the rest of the way in until Dany's anus closed around the narrow post, leaving only the flat base exposed. 

With her butt filled, Dany panted softly, her hands squeezing Jon's. Jon soon stood her up on her knees, turned her around, and took her face into his hands. “How do you feel?” he asked. 

A dazed smile formed on Dany's face and a small chuckle left her throat. “Full.”

“Be more specific,” Jon pressed after giving her lips and soft kiss. 

“Mmm,” she hummed, wiggling her butt slightly. “I feel full. I feel good. Somehow, I can feel it in my pussy, too.”

Jon kissed her again. “That's because there's only a thin wall of skin separating your pussy from your ass.”

Dany wrapped her arms around Jon's neck and held him tight.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Jon asked, gliding his hands under the thin t-shirt he had put Dany in, stroking her back. 

“Mmm, something short.”

“Why's that?” Jon asked with a chuckle.

“Because I'm so horny,” Dany whimpered into Jon's ear. 

“Don't beg,” Jon warned before giving her butt a small slap. 

Dany mewled, and Jon scooped her into his arms and carried her into the living room. He set her down on the sofa and found the remote. “Let me guess, you want to watch something scary?”

Dany flopped onto her side and wiggled her hips against the sofa cushions. “I want to watch something sexy.”

“Sexy?” Jon laughed. “That plug is really doing a number on you, isn't it? I have an idea.” Jon flipped around to various streaming apps until he found what he was looking for. 

“Tangled! I love that movie,” Dany exclaimed as Jon pressed play, but the stern look Jon gave her a moment later reminded Dany of her slip up. She clamped a hand over her mouth and looked up at Jon with apologetic eyes. But he was already pausing the movie and setting the remote down on the coffee table. No belt tonight, though.

Jon sat upon the sofa and pulled Dany across his lap. His cock swelled at the sight of Dany's wiggly bottom decorated with a flat glass jewel. It wouldn't be much of a punishment, because Dany did so love to be spanked with Jon's hand, but sometimes Jon wasn't in a punishing mood. Sometimes it was just about reminding Dany of the rules.

He brought his hand down on a bare cheek, snapping it against the skin. He slapped the other cheek next, then back to the first. Dany flinched after the first four spanks, but Jon hit her until she was red and whimpering into the cushions. 

Afterward, Jon went to the bathroom and got a bottle of lotion. He lied down on the sofa and brought Dany into his arms. She was tucked at his side, half-way on top of him, cheek rested on his chest and thigh rested upon his crotch. As the movie played, Jon massaged the lotion into Dany's sore cheeks and listened to her purr like a kitten. 

Dany's lust was insatiable. Multiple times during the movie, Jon had to smack her butt because she had begun to gyrate against his hip. The plug kept her constantly aroused, but never did anything to release the build up of pleasure it caused. It was a teasing device, she decided. Jon teased her with the plug, his soothing touches, and his little spanks for the duration of the movie until Dany was seriously considering just begging Jon to fuck her and accepting the consequences. She could take the belt as long as Jon soothed her afterward, and Jon always soothed her afterward. 

She didn't have to resort to begging, though. As soon as the credits rolled, Jon shut the movie off and attached his mouth to Dany's, kissing her with hunger and urgency. Dany moaned into the kiss, and Jon flipped them over effortlessly. 

This was a new side to Jon, a side Dany hadn't seen since Berkeley. She realized then that she wasn't the only one teased for those two hours. Jon's hunger excited Dany. He was letting go. He was forgoing his control to just be in the moment with Dany, and as much as Dany loved it when Jon had all the control, it was a lot of pressure to put on one person all the time. If he was letting go, it meant he was trusting Dany more – trusting her not to freak out when it was all over because Jon had gone too far. It meant he was trusting his body enough to _know_ what was just far enough. 

He snaked a hand up her shirt and palmed her breast, pinching the nipple between two fingers as he kneaded the flesh. With his other hand, he lifted Dany's knee over his hip and suddenly, Dany was feeling his clothed erection against her bare pussy. 

The pleasure was electrifying, so much so that Dany didn't mind the discomfort of lying on her back while her hands were bound beneath her. 

When Jon's lips were slick with Dany's saliva, he pushed her shirt up under her arms, exposing her breasts. He immediately latched his mouth onto a pebbled nipple and laved his tongue over the nub in quick motions. Dany whimpered, rolling her body against him. A trickle of saliva rolled down the slope of her breast to pool in the center of her chest. 

The way his jeans rubbed against her clit made Dany quiver, but it wasn't enough to get her to climax. She didn't want it to be enough. She needed his skin on her. She needed his cock. 

_'Fuck me!'_ she wanted to shout. Her skin crawled with sweat as Jon's body heat consumed her. She dug her heel into Jon's ass, and he nipped her nipple between his teeth in response. But the action worked. Maybe it was begging, but Dany's didn't care. He could punish her later however he saw fit as long as he fucked her. Right. Now. 

Jon sat up and ripped his shirt off before unfastening his jeans. He didn't even pull them off. He only tugged them and his underwear down enough to free his throbbing erection, and then he was back on top of Dany. He attached his mouth to her neck and nibbled the skin as he guided himself into Dany's womanhood. 

Dany gasped, already breathing erratically. Jon was only a couple inches inside and she already felt like she was going to burst from being so thoroughly filled. 

Raising his mouth to Dany's ear, Jon breathed hotly, “Deep breaths, Daisy. In and out.”

Dany complied, opening her mouth and sucking in a long breath, filling her belly before exhaling. On her second breath, Jon pushed his hips forward suddenly, filling her completely. She exhaled a high-pitched moan. 

“You're so fucking tight,” Jon groaned into her ear as his hips began to move. 

Dany stopped breathing. She squirmed and groaned. The pressure was rapturous. 

“Talk to me,” Jon growled. 

Dany gasped from the request, lungs filling with air for the first time in almost a minute. She was so taken aback by Jon's demand that she suddenly forgot how to speak real words. 

“Fuck,” Jon grunted. “Talk to me, baby girl.”

Eyes rolling back and forth, Dany forced out the only thing her mind could think of to say, “Please make me come.”

“You want to come, baby?” Jon breathed, slowing his motions and angling his cock differently. 

“Fuck!” Dany cried, bucking her hips up as best she could under Jon's weight. “God, fuck! Oh, fuck me. Fuck me!”

“I am fucking you,” Jon growled before digging his tongue into the hollow of her ear. 

Dany gasped, toes curling and thighs widening as much as possible. “You're so big, Jon,” she groaned. 

“Yeah? Is it too big, baby? You need me to stop?” Jon's face hovered a mere inch above Dany's. A droplet of sweat rolled down his nose, dripping onto Dany's nose and sliding to her cheek. 

“No!” Dany whimpered. “Please don't stop. Please don't stop. Don't ever stop!”

Jon dug his hand under Dany's butt and gripped her cheek while he kicked his speed up, fucking her in fast rhythmic thrusts. Dany squeezed her eyes shut, dug the back of her head into the sofa cushion, and screamed. God, her neighbors probably loved her. But it wasn't her fault. Jon did things to her. Things no one else ever had, or ever could. Jon both filled her up and made her feel like she was exploding. Like fireworks constantly regenerating. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she cried.

Jon fucked her through her orgasm, keeping it going and going until Dany was choking on air below him. She was a slave to his cock, but Jon didn't want her to suffer. He soon slowed his hips and gave her a short break, languidly sliding in and out of her while she caught her breath. But, as soon as Jon decided she was ready, he turned the speed back up, thrusting hard and deep until her second climax peaked. 

Jon didn't let himself come until Dany was in the middle of her third orgasm. Tears fell from her eyes and she moaned lowly as Jon finished inside of her with a few final thrusts. Jon collapsed on top of her from exhaustion, but quickly turned them both onto their sides, a much more comfortable position for Dany. Jon held her tight as she cried against his chest. 

With her tears dampening his chest, Jon began to feel guilty. Maybe Dany wasn't ready for this sort of spontaneity after all. Maybe she never would be ready for it. He cursed himself, ready to apologize, but then Dany murmured, “That was so good,” before pressing kisses to his flesh.

“You're okay?” he asked.

“I'm fucking incredible.”

Jon smiled beside himself. “So you enjoyed it?”

“Enjoyed it?” Dany let out a breathy, incredulous laugh. “Fuck, Jon. How do you make me come like that?”

Jon smiled wide. “That's all you, baby girl. Your body is magic.”

“Mmm,” she moaned, wiggling her hips, still aroused by the persistence of the pesky butt plug. “And your cock is the magic wand.”

Snorting a laugh, Jon sat up and pulled Dany into his lap, rocking her gently. “Let's get that plug out of you, shall we? I don't want your cute butt too sore tomorrow.”

“Mmm,” she moaned again. “Or you can fuck me until I can't even walk tomorrow.”

“Watch your mouth,” Jon warned before kissing it. 

“I wasn't begging,” Dany protested. “I was just. . . helping you to explore your options.”

Jon shook his head at how adorable his Daisy was. He held her tight as he stood from the sofa and carried her back into the bedroom where he would, indeed, fuck her mercilessly all night long. It was a special night after all. They hadn't had sex since before Jon's seizure and Dany was still dutifully abstinent from self-pleasure. If Dany wanted to be fucked until she couldn't walk, Jon would give his baby girl this treat. And tomorrow, when she can't sit or stand without wincing, Jon vowed to take really good care of her.

* * * * *

The benefit of the partners knowing about Jon and Dany's relationship was that they had no reason to hide it at work. Of course, they still kept things professional most of the time, but when they ran into each other in the kitchen, it was impossible for Jon not to press his lips to her temple before pouring his coffee. Soon, everyone in the office had heard they were an item. Even still, their romance was treated by many as a bigfoot sighting. It felt like high school the way associates would come up to Jon in the file room and ask him, “Are you really screwing Dany?” It was always phrased that way or similar, and Jon always responded with the cold shoulder. Some even went further to inquire how Dany was in bed. Sometimes, Jon got the vehement urge to describe in full detail what an incredible lay Dany was, just so he could relish in their jealousy. But he would never actually speak that way about his girlfriend. What they did in private was none of anyone's business. Let them think all they did in their free time was watch the Great British Baking Show in their pajamas, which they actually occasionally did between bouts of mind-blowing sex. 

Conversely, no one ever made these inquiries to Dany. As far as she knew, only a handful of people in the office knew about her and Jon. She never noticed the looks that were thrown at her, like trying to see through her clothes. 

“You never RSVPed to the holiday party, Dany,” said Jeyne, one of the firm's office administrators, when she ran into Dany in the hallway. 

“Oh. . .” Dany had forgotten all about the holiday season. She never really did anything on Christmas except drop gifts off at Missandei's house before spending the day cozy in bed. It was the curse, and the blessing, of being completely forgotten by her only family members. “Sorry, I must have breezed past the email invite.” 

“That's okay,” Jeyne said cheerily. “You can just RSVP to me. I'll jot your name down.”

“Oh. . .” But, Dany did not want to go to the firm's holiday party. It sounded like sheer torture actually. She'd rather go back into the courtroom. 

But Jeyne was already scribbling a note on her hand about Dany's RSVP. “Will you be bringing anyone?” Jeyne's honey eyes gazed intently at Dany, waiting for the answer like it would unlock some secret dimension. 

“Uh. . . I don't know. I guess I could see if Jon is going,” Dany meekly said, having no idea how to backtrack out of this situation. 

Jeyne's eyes lit up like Dany had answered correctly. “I was going to harass him next about the party. He never RSVPed either. But, if you two are going together then I will just jot his name down, too. I will see you both there.”

Dany watched Jeyne scribble Jon's name onto her hand as she turned and strutted down the hallway. Dany had a bad taste in her mouth about this, and she had a feeling Jon was not going to appreciate that Dany accidentally RSVPed to this party, for the both of them.


	13. Chapter 13

**DECEMBER, 2019**

There was something unholy about going to the office on a Saturday evening. 

“Why are we doing this again?” Jon asked, wanting desperately to forgo this whole affair and just spend the night with Dany like they usually did on Saturdays. 

“Because I am a foolish, foolish woman,” Dany sighed. 

Jon wrapped his arm around her and opened the building door for them both. “Just let me know which one of us is supposed to be the arm candy at this thing.”

Dany chuckled, short and humorlessly. “Maybe we should have a code word for when we both need to get the hell out of here?”

“Alright. What should it be?”

They stepped into the elevator, purposefully not holding it for the co-workers that were just coming into the building. “Something we wouldn't naturally say,” Dany said.

“How about _this party is great?”_

Dany laughed, this time genuine. “How about. . . Adam Lambert should have won American Idol.”

“He should have.”

“Yeah, but why would we be talking about that?”

“Well, now that you've brought it up, I kind of want to talk about it.”

Dany rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. The elevator doors slid open, and Jon let go of Dany as they moved toward the festivities raging on in the large office suite. He, instead, slid his hand into Dany's and laced their fingers. He knew that being intimate with her was what they all wanted, but at least then they would all know that Dany wasn't to be messed with. 

But as they entered the party, filled with coworkers and their families, Dany took her hand away. Public displays of affection were still somewhat difficult for her when around people she knew. It had nothing to do with Jon. She longed to be his arm candy, to curl her arms around his arm and even to kiss him in front of everyone so that they would know he belonged to her, and she to him. But there was still a residual shame, like she was being caught all over again by her parents. It was bad enough Theon had witnessed them kissing. Dany felt queasy at the thought of her bosses beholding such a sight. 

“Are you okay?” Jon asked her, trying not to take the gesture personally. 

Dany smiled and nodded, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat. 

“Do you want to take that off?” Jon asked. 

Dany glanced around the room, but her eyes did not have to look far. There wasn't much breathing room in the space it was so full of people chatting, drinking, and dancing awkwardly in place to cutesie Christmas jingles. It felt so chaotic, but Dany knew that was only in her mind. “I'm okay,” she soon replied. 

Jon couldn't tell if she was answering his first question or his second, but Dany did not look ready to part with her coat, so he decided to let it go. He hated seeing Dany uncomfortable. He wanted to leave. He told Dany as much, but she shook her head and assured him with a genuine smile that she was fine. 

“Why don't I get you a drink?” he suggested, knowing that a bit of alcohol would help her relax.

Torn between wanting desperately to stick by Jon's side and wanting to not be anywhere near him, Dany reluctantly offered to get her own drink. “I'll be right back,” she said before sidling through the crowd toward the kitchen. 

Jon was dismayed, suddenly feeling insecure. She had been so good on Halloween at Edd's and on Thanksgiving at Missandei's and later at Sam's. But, he supposed this was different. They had intended to keep their private life and their work life separate, but now it was converging in such an official way. While Jon's instinct was to keep Dany pressed to his side all evening, Dany's was to isolate herself, and an errand to the kitchen was a good opportunity to scramble away from the festivities without drawing attention to her nerves. 

“Jon!” Loras's voice called out, waving Jon over with the hand that wasn't cradling a tumbler of scotch. Jon sighed before putting on a friendly smile and joined him where he was chatting with a few colleagues. He didn't see the point in any of this. They spoke of the same things they spoke of in the break room during work hours, only now they did it to a holiday-themed backdrop and with stomachs full of Christmas tree shaped sugar cookies. 

In the kitchen, Dany found little privacy. It seemed she wasn't the only one at the party who volunteered to get her own beverage. A number of women loitered by the appetizers, some of them coworkers of Dany's and some strangers. She immediately missed Jon. She had no idea what to drink out of the vast selection. She cursed herself for not asking Jon what she should drink before leaving him. She wanted wine, but she also didn't want to mess up whatever plans Jon had for them later that night, if he did have plans for them. He wouldn't balk at half a glass, would he? Drinking soda would make her look too immature in front of her bosses and coworkers. Finally, she settled on pouring herself half a glass of red wine, hoping Jon would understand. He would. Dany knew he would. But she still hated the idea of disappointing him, even if only minutely. 

“You look like a deer in headlights, girl,” spoke one of the women in the circle. Dany turned to find blue eyes staring back at her, those of a tall mid-aged woman with long golden hair and an elegant stance. “Want to join the support group? We're all here against our will, too.”

Dany looked over the women, not recognizing any of them. They must have been guests. Girlfriends or wives of the other attorneys. Dany felt strangely offended by the offer until she realized that she, too, was technically the girlfriend of a Lannister & Baratheon attorney. She joined the circle tentatively only to discover upon introduction that the golden haired woman was Cersei Lannister, daughter of Tywin and wife of Robert. Beside Cersei, was Selyse Baratheon, sister-in-law of Robert's – her husband being Robert's brother and a long-time consultant of the firm. Beside her was Margaery, sister of Loras, and though she was at least fifteen years Cersei and Selyse's junior, she held herself with no less elegance.

When Dany gave her own name, she half expected these women to recognize it and realize she was actually an attorney at the firm, but no such realization was made. 

“Who brought you here?” asked Margaery. She sidled closer to Dany, probably feeling better about having someone her own age to talk to. 

“Well, I came with my boyfriend.” 

“Whose your boyfriend?”

Dany smiled softly. “Jon Snow.”

“Ohhh.” Margaery drew out the syllable, clearly recognizing the name. “My brother told me about Jon. Said he's a real cutie.”

Dany's eyes widened a bit, but she decided the polite thing to do would be to brush right past the revelation that Loras was the type of man to find other men cute. Dany felt a rush of pride actually. “Yeah, he is a cutie.”

“Need more wine?” Margaery plucked the glass from Dany's fingers and swished over to the beverage table. Dany followed her, wanting to decline the offer, but Margaery was already topping off Dany's glass. 

As Margaery handed Dany back the wine glass, she stepped close to Dany and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I needed to get away from those annoying broads.”

Dany glanced back at Cersei and Selyse, who just entered a heated discussion about the pros and cons of putting sour cream in mac and cheese. 

“Point your boyfriend out to me,” Margaery insisted. “I'll tell you once and for all if he's cute.”

Dany took a sip of her wine and moved out of the kitchen, Margaery following closely. The music and chatter grew louder as they moved into the lobby. It was easy to point Jon out, because he was caught in a conversation with Loras. Dany watched as Margaery's expression turned wicked. 

“Wow,” she said, eyes alight with hunger. “Now that is one sexy slice of man. Yum.”

Dany giggled quietly, smiling ear to ear. She turned her gaze to Jon, sizing up his profile like it was the first time she was laying eyes on him. He looked so dashing in his fitted slacks and his thin sweater rolled up to the elbows. He looked straight out of a GQ magazine, but nothing was more beautiful to Dany than the look in his dark eyes when they found Dany's.

Without regard for Margaery, Dany crossed the room until she was close enough to sweetly ask Jon, “Could you help me with my coat now?”

A smile stretched across his face, but not the forced sort of smile he'd been wearing during his conversation with Loras. He took the wine glass from Dany's hand, set it on the coffee table, and circled around Dany to slide her coat off her arms. “I'll be back,” he promised, but before Jon could leave to hang Dany's coat up, Dany reached her hand behind his neck, stood up on her toes, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 

Jon chuckled as he made his way to the coat rack. A little wine always seemed to do the trick. 

But it wasn't the wine this time. Or, not just the wine. When others looked at Jon, all they saw was a handsome man, a charming man, a kind man, but when Dany looked at him, she saw everything else, too. All the things Jon would never want anyone else to know. All the things that made him different from every other handsome, charming, and kind man in the world. 

She saw Jon as a seventeen-year-old boy telling her about how his step-mom mistreated him. She saw him as a twenty-three-year-old who so apprehensively revealed to Dany the kinds of porn he was so embarrassed to be watching. She saw him as a twenty-eight-year-old who went deep into debt just so he could make little more than minimum wage keeping underprivileged people from falling victim to an unbalanced justice system. She saw a man who would do things for her that he would never do for anyone else. Jon was always telling Dany she was special, but Jon was the special one. 

When Jon returned, Dany slid her hand into his and held tight, content to go through the whole party by his side. 

Of course, that was a bit unrealistic. Eventually, Dany did let go of Jon's hand as they were pulled in different directions by different colleagues. When Tywin wanted to speak to Jon about hitting the fairway sometime, Jon could not refuse, as desperate as he was to. He begrudgingly left Dany on a leather sofa. She nibbled at a chocolate chip cookie and sipped her wine. 

“Do you work here?” asked a man's voice beside her. Dany turned to find a rather small man seated beside her, his legs dangling off the edge of the sofa. It was interesting, and quite refreshing, for Dany to meet a man littler than herself. 

“I do. I'm the Senior Litigator.”

“No you aren't,” insisted the man easily before taking another, very hardy, sip from his own wine glass. He sat so casually, like he was lounging in a hot tub. 

Dany laughed humorlessly. “Yes I am.”

“You can't be older than twenty-five.”

“I'm twenty-six.”

“Oh. Well, my mistake.” The man rolled his eyes, but smirked playfully. He was tipsy, Dany could tell. 

“You don't work here,” she challenged. 

“No. Certainly not. My father would never allow me the honor.”

“Your father?”

“The great Tywin Lannister.”

“Your Tywin's son?”

“That's what I said.” He took another sip. “By the way, that man keeps staring at you.”

Dany followed the small man's eyeline to where Jon stood, watching Dany from the corner of his eye while Tywin yammered on and on about golf. She blushed, and confidently declared, “That's my boyfriend.”

“Ahh, well in that case, I'm flattered.”

“Flattered?”

“He's clearly jealous that you're speaking to an Adonis such as myself.”

“He isn't jealous. He just likes to keep an eye on me.”

“He looks jealous.”

Dany glanced back at Jon, giving him a small wave to watch the corners of his mouth lift. “He's not jealous.”

“My father seems to like him.”

Dany raised an eyebrow at the small man, hearing a hint of jealousy coming from his own mouth. “Everyone likes Jon.”

“That's so boring,” sighed the man before smirking at Dany. “Wouldn't you rather be with a miserable dwarf whom no one cares for, not even his own father?”

Dany frowned at him. Not so much because he was hitting on her, because the man's words were too dispirited to be taken seriously. Rather, she frowned because she felt sympathy for him. “My father doesn't particularly care for me either.”

“See. We're perfect for each other.” The man's eyes rolled again before he swished back another heavy gulp of wine. “I might be miserable, but I do have one thing going for me.”

“What's that?”

“I am filthy rich,” he replied. “Old money. You didn't actually think my father got to where he is today just by sheer will, did you? The Lannisters have always bought their success.”

“If you're so miserable and rich, what are you doing at this party?”

“My father is ashamed of me. I did everything he ever wanted me to do. I even went to law school, but still he resents me. I figured I would come make myself known to all of his colleagues, just to get under his skin.” 

“I also went to law school because my father wanted me to.”

“I'm starting up my own firm,” the man said. “You wouldn't happen to be looking for a new job, would you?” He dug into his inner coat pocket and retrieved a business card, handing it to Dany. 

She looked down at it. _Tyrion Lannister,_ it read before listing a phone number and email address. “Poaching employees from your own father?” she chuckled. 

“Like I said. I'm here to spite him.”

“I'll think about it,” she promised, with little intention of following through. 

“Or, you could just pass that number along to one of your single friends.”

“Sorry, I don't have any single friends.”

With a self-deprecated sigh, Tyrion asked, “Why does everyone tell me that? I'm kidding anyway. I'm happily married actually/ We have a bit of an arrangement, though. I'm allowed to make an ass out of myself, as long as I never succeed in my efforts.”

Dany laughed as she stood. She tucked the business card into the back pocket of her leather skirt and, suddenly in need of another cookie, she turned abruptly turned toward the kitchen when, suddenly, she collided head on with another small person. Dany gasped at the sudden impact, and her eyes grew wide as she felt the contents of her wine glass slosh onto her blouse, soaking the white fabric down the front. 

“I'm sorry,” squeaked the soft voice of a petite girl no older than fifteen, her round eyes staring up at Dany like she was prepared for a reprimand. The girl's silver dress caught only a few drops of wine that dried quickly. 

“No, it was my fault,” Dany said quickly, heat rising under her skin as she struggled to think of what to do all drenched with wine in front of all of her coworkers and their families. She scanned the room to see almost no one paying attention to her, including Jon. He had turned the opposite way, now speaking with Robert, his back to Dany. 

“You should probably rinse that out,” Tyrion casually suggested from behind Dany. She didn't even look at him before following his advice and zooming quickly out of the office suite and into the main hallway, making a beeline for the restrooms. 

A minute later, Jon finally managed to pull himself out of his tedious conversation with the partners only to find that Dany was no longer where he had left her, rather Theon sat in her place beside the tipsy dwarf, accepting a business card from him. He scanned the room but couldn't see one shock of silver hair that might indicate Dany's presence. He moved to the kitchen, but nearly crashed into a woman as she hastily dragged her teen daughter out of the kitchen and down the hall, further into the office suite. Jon peaked into the kitchen, and when he didn't see Dany, he grew suspicious of the irate woman and decided to follow her path down the hall. 

Tucked inside one of the paralegal's cubicles in the quiet wing of the office, the woman was pouring club soda on the girl's dress with a deep scowl on her face. She took the girl's dress in both hands and scrubbed the soda into the fabric with an angry vigor. 

“I can do it,” the girl protested. She was a kid by Jon's standards, but she wasn't a young child. 

“You can't do anything,” snapped the woman.

“I'm fourteen. I can do it,” the girl argued, attempting to pull away from her mother. 

The woman tugged hard on the girl's dress until she was back in her place. The woman spilled some more club soda on the dress sloppily. “You're fourteen, and yet you can't even keep your God damn clothes clean. How did you even get wine on you? Were you drinking?”

“No,” the girl insisted. Defiantly, she pushed on her mother's shoulders, trying to separate her from the woman so crazed with anger. 

The woman retaliated quickly, snatching the girl by the ear and twisting it until the girl's knees buckled and hit the floor. “You want to do it yourself? Fine. Do everything by yourself. I don't care,” seethed the woman, face a mere inch from her whimpering daughter's. 

She finally released her daughter's ear and left her to cry on the floor by herself. Jon was paralyzed by the sight. He thought of Dany. He thought of himself. When the woman marched past Jon, she was unfazed by his voyeurism. “Teenagers,” she grumbled with a shake of her head, as if expecting Jon to agree. He glared at the back of her head as she went back to the party. 

* * * * *

In the handicap bathroom, Dany was rubbing a wet paper towel against the front off her blouse, but all it seemed to do was make the stain bigger, and make her belly wetter. She groaned, tossing the paper towel away and tearing another from the dispenser. Before she could run it under the sink faucet, there was a knocking on the door, accompanied by Jon's voice.

She hastily threw away the towel and pulled open the door. 

“We're leaving,” Jon told her flat out. He was wearing his coat, and had hers draped over his arm. He hadn't been able to look at that girl for another moment, tears prickling at his eyes. He had turned on his heel, strode back to the party and asked the dwarf where Dany had gone. 

_What's wrong?_ Dany meant to ask, but instead she whined, “I spilled wine all over me.”

Jon took in the sight of her and her wet blouse dyed with thick splotches of red wine. He blinked, letting a tear escape his eyelid and roll down his cheek. Hastily, he shut himself in the bathroom with Dany, hung her coat on the hook behind the door, followed immediately by his own coat. He swiped the tear away and sucked back any further before turning to Dany and putting his fingers on the top button of her blouse. 

Dany watched his red-rimmed eyes with an ache in her chest. _What's wrong?_ But still the question would not come up her throat. She was too afraid of the answer. Maybe Tyrion was right. Maybe Jon had been jealous that Dany was talking to another man. Maybe the sarcasm in Tyrion's voice as he made moves on Dany wasn't caught by Jon. Could he really think Dany would flirt with another man? 

Jon quickly fingered each button down Dany's blouse until her moist torso was revealed. He took the blouse off of her, snatched a paper towel and dried her skin of water and wine. Her nude bra was sprinkled slightly with red, but not enough for Jon to need to rid her of it. 

“Jon,” Dany tried as she watched him tug his gray sweater off of himself. He didn't reply, only bunched the fabric, and slid it over Dany's head. 

As much as Dany loved to be dressed by him, Jon's actions were more urgent than thoughtful, like fixing Dany up was an obstacle he needed to get past before a finish line. When Dany was settled in his sweater, Jon handed her her coat – not even taking the time to put it on her – then left the bathroom before tugging on his own coat over his t-shirt. 

“Come on,” he said, hurrying Dany along. 

She followed Jon quickly with a pit in her stomach, completely forgetting her stained blouse in the bathroom. They rode the elevator in silence. When the doors opened, Dany reached for Jon's hand, but he moved so quickly toward the building's front doors that her hand could not catch his. At least he opened the door for her. 

“Jon,” she tried again, louder this time, for Jon was two yards ahead of her as they fast-walked to the parking structure. “Jon, stop!” she demanded, but Jon kept moving. 

In a fit of confusion and sadness, Dany halted, standing still in the center of the walkway with her arms hugged around herself. It wasn't until Jon reached the parking structure that he noticed Dany was no longer following him. He turned around, took a long look at Dany's dejected pose, and walked back to her with a look like Dany's act of defiance was a betrayal. 

“Stop ignoring me,” Dany commanded with a waver in her throat. “I'm sorry I was talking to that man. I had nothing else to do. But I wasn't flirting with him, Jon. I would never do that.”

Jon's face contorted with confusion and annoyance at the fact that they weren't already in the car, leaving. “What are you talking about?”

“You're mad at me.”

“No I'm not. I don't care that you were talking to some guy, Dany. I just want to leave.”

The words did not reassure Dany. “You seem mad at me.”

“I'm not.”

“It's okay if you are,” she said. “If I made you mad then tell me. I just can't handle it when you ignore me. You promised you would never ignore me.”

Jon groaned. “I'm not trying to ignore you. I just want to leave. How many times do I have to tell you that I want to leave before we can actually leave?”

“Tell me why,” Dany insisted. “If you're not mad at me, then tell me why you want to leave so badly.”

“I am mad, Dany, but it doesn't have anything to do with you!” Jon turned around, pressing his palm to his forehead and taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. _Control._

When he turned back around, he flinched. He hadn't heard Dany come up close, and she was now just before him, blue eyes blinking up at him with worry. “What's wrong?” she quietly asked, her fingers coming to hook around his palm that was shaking so violently against his leg. 

Holding tightly her hand, Jon sighed deeply, then told her of what he witnessed minutes ago in a low, uneasy voice. 

The first thing Dany asked when the story was finished was, “What did you say to her?”

“To who?”

“The girl.”

Jon squinted with confusion. “I didn't say anything. I left. What was I supposed to say?”

“I don't know,” Dany mumbled sadly. She had never been abused in such a way by her parents, not even slightly. Neglected, yes, but never physically harmed. Even so, she knew that leaving that girl alone wasn't the right thing to do. It wasn't Jon's fault. He was triggered, not thinking clearly. He was running away like he so longed to do when he was a teen being smacked around by his step-mom. Dany slid her hand from Jon's and walked backward as she said, “I'm going to go back up.”

“What?” Jon looked hurt. Another betrayal. But as much as Dany knew he needed her, she also knew he needed her to go back upstairs and check on that girl, even if he didn't know that was what he needed. 

“I have to,” Dany said. “It's my fault. I got wine on her dress.”

“It's not about the wine, Dany.”

“I'll be right back,” she promised. “Wait for me, okay? I'll be right back.” She turned and broke into a steady jog, heading back into the building like she forgot her wallet. 

Jon heaved another sigh, bringing his hands up to rub his face. He remained in the cold chill of the December evening until Dany returned less than ten minutes later. She was hurrying back, finding Jon still standing in the precise spot on the walkway where she had left him. She hurried right into his arms, holding him tight. 

While trying not to squeeze too tightly, Jon breathed deeply the scent of the shampoo he had lathered into Dany's hair that afternoon in the shower. “What did you do?” he eventually asked. 

Dany lifted her head enough to look into Jon's eyes. “I just talked to her.”

“What did you say?” He looked nervous, like he had a personal stake in how the conversation went. 

“I told her I was sorry for staining her dress. That it was all my fault. And I told her my boyfriend saw what happened between her and her mother.” Selyse. Robert's sister-in-law. And the girl's name was Shireen, a thin fourteen-year-old with a quiet, sweet voice. “She told me it wasn't a big deal, that she was fine, and that her mom is usually really nice.”

Jon didn't like what he heard, but he did not quite know why he didn't like it. Maybe because he knew Shireen was lying. Maybe because he was afraid Shireen wasn't lying, and that he had overreacted over an ordinary mother-daughter squabble. It didn't feel like a squabble. Not in his soul. 

“Jon,” Dany said, reaching for him. Jon had broken their embrace, returned his hands to his pockets, and was staring off at nothing. “That's what kids do. They defend their parents.”

“I never defended my step-mom,” Jon muttered. 

“But I bet when people asked about your real mother, you didn't say she was a monster. You didn't say she was a bad person.”

“No.” Jon looked down at his feet, leaning into Dany when she pressed her body to his side. He had never really talked to Dany about his mother. It wasn't something he enjoyed talking about, mostly because there wasn't much to say. Jon didn't remember ever even being with his mother. But he remembered all the nasty things Cat would say about her, even right in front of his face. Cat was the one who called her a monster and a bad person. She would even have the audacity to accuse her of abusing Jon. Sure, she probably did, but she was Jon's mother, and at the very least, she must have loved Jon. Cat never loved Jon, not in the slightest. “She's okay, though?”

Sadly, Dany replied, “There's really no way to tell. But she seemed alright.”

“Okay.”

“What do you want to do?” Dany asked, ready to do anything for him to ease his heartache. 

“I have to go grocery shopping.”

That wasn't what Dany had expected, but if it was what Jon wanted to do, then they would go grocery shopping. 

* * * * *

They were in the cheese isle when Jon had his second breakdown of the night. He was staring into his obscured reflection in the glass doors of the refrigerated section. Dany was asking him whether he wanted the sharp cheddar or the medium cheddar because, for the life of her, she did not know the difference. 

“Dany?” he meekly asked, feeling suddenly unworthy to even speak her name. 

“What's wrong?” she immediately asked, dropping both cheese. She hadn't seen that look on Jon's face since he thought Dany was breaking up with him when she was really just threatening to quit her job. Desperate, confused, and scared. 

“Am I a bad person?”

Dany furrowed her brows. “What? Why would you ever wonder that?”

He gulped. “Because of what I do to you.”

The worry lines in Dany's face deepened. She knew Jon hated it when she worried about him, but how could she not when he was in this state? “What are you talking about?”

“I hurt you,” he stated. 

Dany looked around them, seeing no one else in the isle. She stepped close to him and took his hands into hers. Adamantly, she implored, “You do not hurt me, Jon.”

“I do. I hit you. I make your skin red. I bruise you. I make you cry. How can I do that? How can I hurt you and like it?” 

As soon as the tears fell from Jon's eyes, Dany knew he was teetering off a dangerous ledge. Her heart raced. She hadn't felt this afraid since the night Jon had his seizure. Dany pulled Jon away from the shopping cart. “We're going home,” she declared, leading him toward the exit doors. 

“I have to get cheese,” Jon quietly insisted. 

“We'll get it tomorrow.”

Dany pulled Jon all the way to the car and did not take no for an answer when Jon was reluctant to get into the passenger seat. He was silent the whole drive to Dany's apartment, and Dany felt like a million bricks were being stacked upon her chest one by one. 

“I don't want to be here,” Jon mumbled as Dany unlocked her front door. “I want to go home.”

“This is your home.” Dany pushed open the door and tugged Jon inside. He'd stopped crying, but he now seemed to be a zombie, void of any emotions. She took him straight to the bedroom. 

Standing before him, Dany slowly stripped out of her clothes. She toed off her modest black heels and kicked them aside. She rolled down one stocking then the other. She unzipped and shimmied out of her leather skirt. 

“I don't want you to do this,” Jon said, eyes refusing to watch her undress. 

Dany didn't listen. She pulled Jon's sweater off her body and dropped it to the floor. She unhooked her bra and dropped that as well. She went to her dresser, opened Jon's drawer, and took out a thin white t-shirt. She pulled it on, now dressed in her uniform. 

“How do I look?” Dany asked. 

Jon shook his head, eyes staring at her feet, but even her bare toes tantalized him. 

“Tell me I'm pretty,” Dany demanded. 

Even at that, Jon shook his head. 

“Don't do this, Jon,” Dany begged. “Don't abandon me.”

“You shouldn't be with me.”

Tears prickled under her eyes. “I love you.”

“I hurt you.” Such a final statement, like he was reading the judge's verdict and it came up “guilty.”

“You have _never_ hurt me.”

Finally, Jon's eyes found hers. “How can you say that? I literally hurt you all the time. I spank you. I do it intentionally until I think you can't take it anymore. I spank you with my belt until you're in tears. Your skin burns a fiery red under my hand, and it makes me fucking hard. What kind of a person am I, Dany? I see that girl hurt by her mother and all I feel is anger and disgust, but I hurt you and get a fucking boner.”

“It's different,” Dany urged. “You know it's different.”

“How? How is what I do to you any different from what my step-mom did to me, or what that woman did to her daughter?”

“Because I _need_ it.”

Jon shook his head. “I just manipulated you into thinking that was what you needed. You never let anyone hurt you before me. I was the one who wanted to punish you. I was the one who wanted to hurt you. I forced it on you.”

“Stop, Jon,” Dany begged. “Don't you see? You're doing the same thing I was doing in Berkeley. You're questioning yourself, and you're questioning us, and if you don't stop, you're going to drive yourself away from me. Please, Jon. I can't handle that. I can't lose you.” Her cheeks were red, wet with tears. “You punish me because I need to be punished. You know that. But it only works if I trust the person punishing me. That's why I never did it with anyone before you. I've only ever trusted you, Jon. You stop spanking me only when you know I can't handle it anymore because I _can_ handle it until then. If I couldn't I would say the safe word. Remember, Jon? Ashley Simpson sucks. I've never forgotten it. It's always been on the tip of my tongue, but I haven't said it because I haven't needed to. You punish me, but it makes me feel good to be punished, because I know you're doing it because you love me, and not because you want to hurt me. It makes you hard because you know that I enjoy it. Please, Jon. You know who I am. You know what I need.” 

Dany dropped to her knees, sobbing now. She curled in on herself and rested her cheek upon Jon's shoe, arms hugging his ankles, butt raised off her heels. 

Jon had forgotten about the safe word. He had forgotten about how wet Dany always got during a spanking. He forgot how Dany would goad him just to feel his palm slap her round bottom. He forgot about how much self control went into every spanking session, that he made sure to only give her what she needed, and what she could handle. He forgot about her needs, needs that preceded Jon and which debilitated her during his absence. He forgot that no one but him had ever made Dany come. 

“I'm sorry, Daisy,” Jon murmured, looking down at his baby girl with anguish over his meltdown. 

It took Dany a minute to compose herself enough to lift her head up. Her cheek rested on Jon's knee, her wet eyes blinking up at him. When Jon's hand came to rest against the side of her head, Dany leaned into the touch. “There are two kinds of pain, Jon. Good pain and bad pain. Bad pain gives you nightmares. Good pain heals. You heal me.”

“I'm sorry,” Jon repeated. He hated that he made Dany feel the need to explain herself. There was nothing wrong with her and what she needed and desired. There was something wrong with him, though, and he didn't know how Dany could heal him. 

“You're not an abuser,” Dany whispered. “You're a good person. A great person. And every single day, I am proud to be your girlfriend. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I really mean that.”

Jon dropped to his knees and absorbed Dany in a tight embrace, his arms around her middle. Dany's immediately circled his neck, and her nose tucked against his ear, tickling the folds as she inhaled the remnants of his cologne. But she only had a few moments to savor it before Jon was turning his head and connecting their mouths in a needy kiss, all hot and wet and desperate. Just when Dany suspected Jon's control was lost forever, his teeth clamped her bottom lip and tugged. 

Dany whimpered with surprise, the pinch of pain traveling between her thighs. 

“Did that hurt?” Jon breathed against her mouth before soothing her bottom lip with the flat of his tongue, moistening it thoroughly. 

“Uh uh,” Dany hummed with a subtle shake of her head. No, it didn't hurt. It pinched and stung and surprised her, but it did not hurt. 

Jon tucked his head down and latched his mouth to the curve of her neck, sucking harshly the flesh to make Dany whimper and crane her head to the side, desperate for more. His teeth nipped her there as well, chewing gently the wet skin. Dany's thighs trembled, her womanhood pulsing. After a minute of his devilish ministrations, Jon removed his suction and smoothed his tongue over the assaulted area. 

“Did that hurt?” he asked hotly, fingers gripping a round butt cheek. Oh if only he would move those fingers an two inches more, Dany could feel them on her hungry pussy. 

“No,” she whimpered. It certainly did not hurt. All that hurt were her knees, digging into the shag rug and the hard wood underneath. 

A sharp pinch to her hardened nipple made her gasp and look into Jon's dark stare, so haunting and mischievous, but not void of love and attention. The eyes studied her, taking close stock of every nuance of Dany's reaction. They were remembering how much Dany loved this, and how little she feared it. 

“Does this hurt?” he asked, squeezing his fingers tighter around the little nub through her t-shirt and tugging slightly. 

Dany moaned, chest heaving, which only served to stretch her nipple further and increase the harsh sensation. Her eyes looked panicked, but her parted lips and gyrating hips spoke volumes of her lust. Seeing Dany this way filled Jon's cock with blood. It pressed heavily against Dany's belly. 

“No,” Dany whined, fingers digging into Jon's hair and massaging his scalp. It only hurt when Jon released her nipple, giving way to the blood flow that kept it swollen and raging from his forceful touch. _I love you,_ she wished to say through her whimper, but she was interrupted by Jon tugging her t-shirt up past her breasts, bunching the fabric under her arms. 

His mouth latched onto her other nipple and gave it the same treatment he had her neck, sucking hard and softly gnawing on the nub with his teeth. Dany cried, not with tears but with intense pleasure. She pressed her hands against Jon's head, urging him not to stop. Her toes scraped against the shag. Her thighs quivered. Her brows furrowed as she watched with parted lips as Jon's mouth molested her tender flesh. She thought of high school, when Jon had so gently touched her virgin breast. Dany had never felt such ecstasy before. 

Jon gave her nipple a firm tug as he leaned back, releasing it of his lips' tight suction with a _pop._ “Did that--”

Before he could finish the question, Dany was scrambling into his lap, crawling up his body and hooking her legs around his hips. Her mouth connected suddenly with his, their teeth knocking together as Dany pressed her clothed pussy against the firm bulge in Jon's pants. 

“Fuck me,” she said between firm, sloppy kisses. Fuck the rules. Her head was spinning too fast to remember them. “Fuck me, please. Fuck me.”

A primal growl rumbled through Jon's throat. He squeezed Dany's ass, holding her firm against his crotch, and he put her back to the floor. When Dany's legs and arms stayed secure around him, even when he tried to pull away, Jon had to pry them from him forcefully. _Only naughty girls beg. And naughty girls don't get what they want._

“Please!” Dany cried, reaching out for him and making grabby hands like a toddler wanting a bottle. 

Jon sat back on his heels, watching Dany plead for him. _So naughty._ It was a marvel how his baby girl could be so strong and so confident one minute, then so completely at his mercy in the next. No. . . Dany was always strong, not matter if she was Daenerys Targaryen or Jon's little Daisy, no matter if she was snapping Jon out of a breakdown or begging him to fuck her. Tonight solidified in Jon's mind that Dany was sometimes stronger than he was, and that maybe he did need her to take care of him every once in a while. It meant everything to Jon that, even when she was taking care of him, Dany still needed him to take care of her. Maybe just this once, his naughty girl could still get a reward, because God knows, Dany deserved all the rewards in the world for putting up with Jon. 

Tonight, he would give her what she wanted and leave what she needed for tomorrow. 

Dany's breath hitched when Jon removed his belt. She even turned onto her hands and knees for him, ready to be punished for her disobedience, because it always lead to a powerful orgasm, no matter how sore her butt was. When she didn't feel the leather against her ass, she nearly begged for that, too. _Please spank me!_

But then Jon's fingers slipped beneath the material of her panties and touched her wet, swollen clit. Dany struggled not to come undone just then, clenching her muscles to keep her orgasm at bay. 

“Please,” she whimpered, craning her head back to connect her gaze with his. “I'm not afraid. I'm not going to run away. I love you. You can let go, Jon. Just let go.”

When Jon removed his hand from Dany's sex, she whined at the loss. He did not do it to chastise her, though. He tugged her panties down her thighs before pushing his own underwear down enough to free his raging erection. With haste, he pulled Dany's ass back against his jutting cock, plunging it deeply through her wanting channel. He released a low groan, and when he was all the way inside his baby girl, he leaned over her and suctioned his mouth to neck. He wrapped his arms around her, securing one hand to her breast and the other to her mound, finger tips rubbing fervently her slippery clit. 

“Yes! Yes!” Dany cried, limbs shaking, fingers and toes digging into the rug. “Fuck me, Jon! I can't. . .” she moaned, wishing she could hold on longer, but oh so desperate for release. “I'm gonna come! God, fuck, please! I'm gonna--”

_Naughty, naughty, naughty._ Oh how his Daisy's naughtiness drove Jon off the edge. 

As Dany's body was flooded with euphoria, she felt Jon's seed expel deep within her, coating her walls as Jon grunted a string a curse words under her ear. 

Dany collapsed, falling limp to the floor. She soon turned lazily onto her back. Jon stood on his hands and knees above her, eyes closed, chest heaving as his heart rate steadily decreased. A line fluid, either Dany's or his own, hung from the tip of his cock and tickled Dany's thigh. She reached up and smoothed her thumb over the tip of the still solid organ, causing Jon to hiss in a mixture of pleasure and discomfort. Oh how Dany knew that feeling well. She reveled in it. 

But Jon was not like Dany. He was not her equal, but her perfect counterpart. Jon could not handle discomfort unless he was inflicting it upon himself. 

She moved her hand to his cheek. Even so, he flinched. “Jon,” she whispered. “Lay down with me.”

Jon shook his head, but at least his eyes blinked open. “Did I hurt you?”

Leaning herself up on her elbows, Dany pressed her forehead to Jon's. “No,” she stated firmly. “Are you kidding? You made me feel so good. You always do.” She lifted her chin to catch his mouth with hers, pleased when his lips moved along with hers. “You trust me, right?”

Jon's body finally began to relax. He rested his head on Dany's shoulder and lowered to his elbows, guiding her onto her back. “Yes,” he murmured before kissing her neck where a bruise was already forming. 

“I appreciate you so much, honey. You know that, right?”

After a few moments, Jon nodded. 

“You're a good boy.”

At that, Jon lifted his head and peered down at Dany with a pointed smirk. “Don't test me, Daisy.”

She giggled softly. No, Jon didn't need to be told he was a good boy. He always knew that. Even when his step-mom would treat him like a degenerate, Jon knew in his heart he was good and worthy of so much better. He had never questioned whether he was a good boy, only whether he was a good man – a man who could control himself, who could never do to someone what was done to him, who could take care of the woman he loved. 

“You're a good man,” she rephrased. “You're a good person. You're good to me. You're good to your friends. You're good to my friends. You're good to your clients. You were good to your father. You don't hurt people, Jon. That's not who you are. And I'm always going to be here to remind you of that whenever you need it, alright?”

He released a breath that tickled Dany's nose. Finally, Jon allowed his muscles relief, lying down upon Dany's warmth and tucking his arms around her. Close to her ear, he murmured a calm “Thank you.”

* * * * *

Dany awoke the following morning and stretched her arm across the mattress, feeling for Jon, but coming up empty. She was alone between the sheets, causing her momentary panic. But then she smelled coffee wafting through the open bedroom door. She heard a soft clamber of dishes and cabinets opening and shutting. 

Wearing nothing but Jon's t-shirt and a sleepy smile, Dany padded into the kitchen to find Jon busy at the stove, cooking breakfast like everything was back to normal. _Please, let everything be back to normal._

Jon soon noticed Dany's presence, and his face lit up with a cheery expression. “Good morning, baby.”

“Hi,” replied Dany, voice groggy with sleep, but her wakefulness was blooming quickly with the sight of Jon so happy. “What are you making?”

Jon's hands were covered in flour as he kneaded a thick circle of dough against a powdered cutting board. “Biscuits.”

Dany's heart leap. She rested the side of her head against the pantry door, watching Jon with stars in her eyes. He was in his lounge clothes, bare footed and his hair tied behind his head. Everything just felt _right,_ and Dany was overjoyed. 

Still, she quietly inquired, “Are you alright? Everything's okay?”

Jon left the biscuit dough unattended while he moved to Dany. He circled an arm around her waist and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Everything is fine,” he whispered against her flesh, and he could feel her nervous tension subsiding. 

Indeed, everything was perfect. Jon had had a horrible dream last night. Not a nightmare, but deeply unpleasant all the same. He dreamed of that morning in Berkeley when Dany had left him, and that dream morphed into another of him being married to Val, stuck inside an easy, safe relationship void of any real passion or deep understanding. Only Dany ever understood him, and when Jon awoke in the early morning to Dany cuddled in his arms, breathing softly against his chest, it was like entering the gates of Heaven, and she was his reward for always trying to be a good man. 

He had lied awake for an hour, savoring the feel of Dany against him, until he had to pee. He took a shower, too, then went down to his car to retrieve his daily dosage of medication from the glove compartment. When he returned, Dany was still slumbering angelically, and Jon decided to wake her with breakfast, a reward for always being such a good girl. He would give her lots of rewards today. As much as she could possibly stand. 

“Jon?” Dany spoke, some of that anxiousness returning. Jon didn't like it. He wanted Dany calm and at ease, always comfortable, unless she needed differently. “If you ever want to change things. . . If there's ever anything we do that you decide you just. . . _can't_ anymore. . . you can tell me. If you don't want to do the spankings anymore, we can do something else. Something non-physical. I don't know what, but we can figure it out.” Dany found his hand effortlessly and held it gently, smoothing her thumb across his. “You are what I need more than anything else.”

A smile stretched across Jon's face. Even his cheeks turned a tinge of red. “Thank you, baby. But I'm fine now, because of you. I promise.”

Dany hugged him tightly. She hadn't realized how chilly it was in the apartment until she felt just how warm Jon was. She never wanted to let go. 

But Jon soon separated them, running his palms up and down her arms soothingly. “No more talking,” he instructed before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips. “Do as I say, and nothing else, okay?”

With a flutter in her heart and a yearning in her loins, Dany breathed, “Yes, Jon.”

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you, too.” Because saying _I love you, too_ was never against the rules.


	14. Chapter 14

**DECEMBER, 2009**

The first thing Dany did when she awoke that Wednesday morning was peer out her dorm room window and gauge the snowfall. No change. For four days, the building had been on lockdown while a strong blizzard overtook much of Boston and completely ravaged the Harvard campus. Of course, most students had vacated campus weeks ago for Winter break, but Dany was not so lucky. Her parents were in Spain on a month long European vacation. Dany hadn't even learned of their plans until they had already purchased the plane tickets. Just two. No room for Dany. 

Her father had chided her for even thinking they would have brought their daughter along. “You shouldn't be lollygagging when your future is at stake, Daenerys. I hope you aren't planning to goof off all Winter! What classes have you registered for?”

After a long discussion about her school schedule, Dany enrolled in Calculus and Sociology, despite the latter being a completely useless subject, according to Aerys. Thankfully, both classes were online, so Dany spent much of her time cooped up in her dorm room doing homework for her Winter classes and taking online quizzes. The rest of her time, though, she spent bored out of her mind. There was only so much Tetris she could play. 

Dany gazed out at the snow storm flourishing out her window with foreboding. She was running out of real food to eat, and even her snack drawer was diminishing quickly. If worse came to worse, she would have to scavenge through her dorm mate's food supply. It would be okay, though, because her dorm mate was down in North Carolina til Spring semester and Dany could just use her dad's credit card to replace anything once the storm subsided, and she could finally venture outside again. 

Still in her pajamas, Dany sat at her desk, knees up and heels on the edge of her chair. She was reading Harry Potter fanfiction when the scene grew scandalous. She was still a virgin, still having only ever kissed one person: Jon. Maybe that was why, whenever she was turned on, she thought of Jon. 

She closed the tab and opened a new one, going to Facebook. Dany didn't have a Facebook. There was no point. She still only had one friend. Somehow, no one at her Ivy League university was jumping at the chance to be friends with the sixteen-year-old. But when she was really lonely, Dany would search Jon's name and look through his recent posts. 

It was a masochistic act really. She would read all of the many comments he would receive on his profile pictures and his posts and let the pit in her belly open wide, swallowing any semblance of her happiness. He had so many friends. So many _girl_ friends. His profile said single, but it didn't matter. Dany had been in college long enough to know that just because someone was single doesn't mean they weren't seeing someone. _Sleeping with_ someone. 

She scrolled through his photos until she reached his Summer time posts, when he made weekly updates of his excursion cross-country – the excursion he had invited Dany to join before discovering she was basically jail-bate. He ended up taking his half-brother, Robb, on the adventure, and from the looks of their smiling faces in each photo, Jon hadn't missing Dany at all. 

_No one ever missed me._

She closed the tab before she could start crying into her keyboard. 

In a desperate attempt to occupy her mind, Dany opened a private window and Google-searched specific key words until she found what she was after. Her arousal returned before she even pressed play on the first video. 

The young woman on the screen was blonde. Dany liked it when they were blonde. It made it easier for her to imagine she was in their place. The woman was strung up in an X by her wrists and ankles. Silver clamps weighed down her nipples. There was no one else in the video. Not really. Only the arm of a man holding a vibrator to the woman's clitoris. Dany couldn't stop herself from imagining it was Jon's arm. 

Jon would never, though. . . _He liked me because I was innocent, because I was shy and. . . What are you talking about? Jon never liked you. Shut up._

Dany shook her head free of any thoughts and focused on the video, focused on the woman being “forced” to orgasm over and over again. 

Twenty minutes later, Dany was walking to the communal restroom with her shower caddy and a towel draped over her shoulder, suddenly in desperate need of a thorough washing. 

There were only a handful of students that were staying on Dany's floor through the Winter, so when Dany got to the ladies' restroom, it was pleasantly empty. Dany undressed and stepped into the last shower stall in a row of a dozen. Half way through washing her hair, though, Dany heard the restroom door swing open and two sets of footsteps enter. She heard two voices, too. Flirtatious snickers and the sound of lips smacking together. One voice was female, the other male. 

Dany suddenly grew flush, realizing there was a boy in the ladies' room while she was completely naked, and her clothes sat on a bench outside of the shower stall. In a fit of paranoia, Dany crawled onto the small bench within the shower stall beneath the water's spray. She hugged her knees to her chest so that no one would be able to see her feet through the gap between the floor and the shower curtain. 

Another shower curtain down the row was swept open, and the female voice said, “Stop, stop!” through a giggle. A moment later, the same voice called out, “Whose in here?!”

Dany's eyes widened. She could have sworn it was the voice of her Resident Advisor. She more than anyone should have known that boys weren't allowed in the ladies' room. Dany doubted this boy had as pure of intentions being in here as Jon did in the Harrenhal ladies' room. 

_Stop thinking about Jon!_

“Me!” Dany reluctantly called out. “Dany!”

“Shit,” her RA hissed before snorting another laugh. The boy must have been tickling her or something, because it took almost a minute for the RA's laughter to subside enough for her to say to him, “Stop. We can't. Just go wait for me in my room.”

“But I need to shower, too,” the boy complained. 

Dany's skin burned, and not just from the heat of the shower water. She prayed she wouldn't have to listen to her RA have sex in the same room as her. At the same time, though, Dany couldn't help the curiosity of the devil on her shoulder. 

The RA laughed again. She and the boy kissed some more, and then she repeated her command. “Go wait for me in my room. I'll be super quick.”

“Come on,” whined the boy. “She won't mind.”

“She's sixteen, dude. That's disgusting,” giggled the RA. 

“Who cares? It's not like she's joining in.”

Dany fumed, hating the fact that she was now a factor in these idiots' sexcapades. 

“Ew. Stop being such a pedo!”

“I said it's _not_ like she's joining in!”

_Please, just leave!_ Dany wanted to shout. Shampoo was stinging her eyes, making her tear up. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged her arms around her body, resting her cheek against the tiled wall. 

The boy never left, not until he and Dany's RA were finished showering together, and by the sounds they emitted, a lot more than showering happened under the water spray. It must have been twenty minutes before they left. Dany was too afraid to leave the shower stall while they were going at it, worried they would emerge from their own stall and Dany would have to encounter them face to face. It was gross. Dany felt disgusted the entire time. 

And yet, after they'd gone, and Dany was consumed by loneliness once more, she couldn't help but long for a boy of her own to shower with, so that maybe these arms wrapped so tightly around her would not have to be her own. 

* * * * * 

**DECEMBER, 2019**

“Don't move,” Jon commanded from where he sat on the edge of his bed, watching Dany intensely. 

She stood on her knees upon the red rug that covered half the area of Jon's living room. Her hands were bound behind her back, and her legs were bound in multiple places, keeping her legs tightly sealed. Her body trembled, head lulling to and fro. She wanted to lie down. She wanted to sit at least. The floor was hard under her knees, but Dany persisted. It would be over soon anyway. That much was very obvious. 

Her toes dug into the rug, scratching the rough fabric with unpainted nails. Her fingers curled and uncurled. Her thighs quivered. Her belly contracted. Her pussy dripped with arousal, but all was trapped between her thighs, pressed together so firm. Her jaw tightened. Her eyes squeezed shut. 

“Open your eyes,” Jon quickly demanded. 

When Dany's blue eyes reconnected with Jon's, he pressed a button on the little black remote control, increasing the speed of the vibrations that ravaged Dany's womanhood from within. She gasped, hips spasming. She leaned forward. 

“Don't move,” Jon repeated. 

Dany shot back upright, a drawn out whimper leaving through a clenched jaw. Her mind went blurry. Though her eyes stayed on Jon, he turned into a mere silhouette of a man as Dany was overcome by pleasure, her eyes un-focused. Somehow, she managed to stay erect in the position Jon put her in while she quaked through a vaginal orgasm. When she hit the peak of climax, Jon tapered down the speed of the vibrating egg nestled inside her pussy. 

She let out a low, wavering groan. 

As soon as the egg ceased it's buzzing, Jon told Dany she could lie down. 

Dany toppled sideways, lying limp upon the rug, eyes shutting as she caught her breath. Jon slid from the bed and crawled to her. He smoothed her silvery hair from her face and kissed her placid mouth. 

“You were so beautiful,” he murmured. “God, you made me so fucking hard, Daisy girl.” He untied the strap around her thighs, her knees, and her ankles, but let the bindings around her wrists be. He pried one knee from the other, spreading her thighs wide enough that he could pull the silicone handle that protruded from Dany's pussy. The egg popped from her channel, all slimy with her come. Jon left the egg on the floor. He would clean it later. First, he needed to clean his Daisy. 

He dove right in, latching his mouth onto her pussy and washing his tongue over the wet petals of pink flesh. Dany mewled, gyrating her hips against Jon's face. After a minute, Jon sat back up and tugged off his sweat pants, leaving him as naked as Dany, and with his raging erection exposed. He laid down on his side, facing Dany, but with his face at her pussy and his cock pointed at her mouth. 

Dany waited until Jon instructed her to suck him off before eagerly parting her lips and taking him into her mouth. Her plump lips enveloped his cockhead and swirled her tongue around the tip, already moist with pre-come. Jon groaned with delight, then returned his tongue to Dany's inner folds, finding her clit easily and paying it very vigorous attention. 

When Dany moaned around his cock, it felt like vibrations, and the sensation only made Jon's lust stronger and his mouth hungrier for her juices. 

“Fuck, Daisy,” he growled against her pussy. “You taste fucking amazing.” He suckled her swollen clit between his lips and tugged until the tiny bundle of nerves snapped free. 

Dany was coming again in no time, hips bucking, even as Jon kept his palm on her butt, holding her to his face. She had to release Jon from her mouth while her body convulsed, but in seeking comfort during her orgasm, Dany nestled her face between Jon's thighs, her nose digging into his scrotum and her mouth breathing hot air against the underside of his cock. Jon moved his hips along with hers, humping his cock against Dany's face while she whimpered in ecstasy. 

Jon soon steadied his lips and slowed his tongue on her ultra-sensitive clit. As Dany descended from her climax, she wiggled her body and craned her head until she was able to slurp Jon's cock back into her mouth. 

Groaning, Jon grabbed Dany's hips and rolled onto his back, bringing Dany on top of him. Her knees planted on the floor on either side of his head, Dany rested across Jon's torso and bobbed her mouth on his cock. 

“Holy shit,” Jon grunted as his cock hit the back of Dany's throat. He thought about untying her wrists so she could get more balance, but she was doing so well as is that Jon didn't want to change a thing. 

Dany's clit was still too tender from so much stimulation, so Jon dug two fingers into her pussy instead, curling them downward, toward her pelvis. Her butt and thighs immediately began to shiver, and she whimpered around his cock. 

“I'm gonna make you come while I'm in your mouth, baby,” Jon warned, and Dany's only response was a low moan around his cock.

But Jon wasn't sure he could make her come before he exploded in her mouth. Even with her hands literally tied behind her back, she gobbled him like a pro. She truly was made of magic; that was all he could figure.

Eyes glued to Dany's pussy, Jon watched his fingers pump in and out of her, listening to the euphoric sound of him diving in and out of her wetness. Soon, Jon's balls felt painfully tight, begging for release. He curled his fingers and began to fervently massage Dany's inner sweet spot with the pads of his fingers.

They were both wet. Dany with her come and fresh arousal, and Jon with Dany's saliva that drooled from her mouth as she pleasured him. In his hyper aroused state, Jon spanked Dany hard while he fucked her with his fingers. Dany squealed, pushing back against Jon's fingers. Deciding to go big or go home, Jon leaned in and pressed his tongue to Dany's still aching clit.

She gagged suddenly around Jon's cock, and her whole body tensed with a surge that shocked her every muscle. She stopped sucking him, but her mouth remained wrapped around his length while another orgasm rocketed through her. Jon bucked his hips, fucking Dany's mouth as his fingers filled her pussy and his tongue ravaged her clit.

Dany couldn't take it anymore. Her body twitched, and she let Jon's cock fall from her lips. She pressed her cheek to his hip and moaned while her whole body spasmed, soon flinching from so much pleasure. 

Jon slowed his fingers and removed his tongue from her clit. He reached down and took hold of his cock. Just a few quick strokes and semen ejected from the tip, spilling down onto his pelvis, his hand, and Dany's face as she came down from her high.

For a good five minutes, they didn't move a muscle. Jon lied limp on the floor, his hand having fallen from Dany's pussy to rest on the rug while his other remained wrapped around his wet, softening cock. Dany lied atop Jon, limp as well. By how evenly she breathed, Jon wondered if she had fallen asleep.

Eventually, though, Jon took Dany's hips and carefully rolled her off of him and onto her side. He sat up and make quick work of untying her wrists. When he looked down at her face to see globs of his semen resting on her cheek and forehead, he cooed. 

“Aww, baby.” He smoothed her hair back with a dry hand. “Don't worry. I'm going to clean you up.”

Dany blinked her eyes open and smiled sleepily up at him, not a care in the world for her physical state as long as Jon was there make her right. Jon swiped a drop of semen from her eyebrow with his thumb, distressed by the thought of it getting into her eye. 

"Come on, baby girl," he softly said, scooping Dany up and carrying her to the bathroom.

He had her pee, then he took her into the shower and washed them both thoroughly with shampoo and soap. They didn't speak the whole while. Rather, they spoke through touch, kissing each other softly on the lips and cheeks, and running their hands languidly all over each other's bodies. Jon washed Dany's face of his fluids and rinsed her pussy of her own.

After their shower, Jon toweled them both off, and then it was bed time.

* * * * *

**JULY, 2019**

Jon parked in front of his old house. Force of habit. The small rental he and Val had lived in together for the two years they were married was inhabited by someone else now, someone with a family, as made apparent by the outdoor toys that scattered the front lawn. It was a strange sight. Being married, Jon always assumed he and Val would have children one day, but it was never something he was excited about. Sure, he wanted to be a father, but it somehow felt off. He chalked it up to age. Nowadays, 25 is young to get married. Now, Jon wondered if somehow, subconsciously, he knew his relationship wasn't going to last the forever that the vows promised.

He turned off the gas and pulled the key from the ignition. When the indoor lights shut off, Jon hit the button on the roof to turn them back on. It was late. Almost nine. Jon had no intention of getting out of his car let alone of knocking on the door.

Eventually, someone came out of the house next door to his old one. It was Val, carrying a plastic crate full of vinyl records that Jon had collected over time. He thought he had gotten them all when he vacated the rental with only the things that were truly _his._ He didn't want anything that was theirs. As soon as Val told him about her affair, Jon decided he didn't want there to be a "their" between them any longer. He must have missed one of the boxes on his way out.

That was almost eight months ago, though. Val had hung onto it that long, keeping it with her during her own move from their house to the house next door where she had been fucking the neighbor for half of their marriage. Half. That was the wildest part. Fifty percent of their entire marriage was a joke. For a year, Jon would go to work each day, and Val would stay home. Jon didn't think she cooped herself up in her home office all day long, but he also didn't think she was letting the guy next door, some forty-something-year-old money manager, fuck her either. And at some point, Val decided she was in love with him, more so than she'd ever loved Jon. That was when she finally sat Jon down, waited until she got two fingers of whiskey into him, then admitted that their marriage was a sham. 

She even cried. That was the worst part. Jon hated to see people cry, and she knew that. The fact that she could be so cruel to him, and then have the audacity to cry. . .

There was a tapping on Jon's window. He unlocked the doors. Val opened the back door and put the box in Jon's backseat. Then, much to Jon's dismay, she opened the passenger door and settled into the seat, shutting the door behind her.

"What do you want?" Jon asked in a tired voice, tired of dealing with her, tired of seeing her, tired of looking back at his previous life when he was trying so hard to start a new one.

"To talk," Val said timidly. "To see how you're doing."

She was worried about Jon. She was always worried, and it annoyed Jon even when he pretended it didn't. Her worry only aggravated him more so now, knowing that while she was so worried about him, she was seeing another man.

"I'm fine," Jon answered. He had yet to look at Val, staring instead at the windshield.

"Where are you living?"

"Why? You want to come over and hang out?" Jon asked sarcastically before sighing. "I got an apartment."

"Is it nice?"

"You know what I make a year. You know it's not nice."

"I wish you would have just agreed to the support payments."

It took all of Jon's will power not to let his anger show. He never cared that Val made more money than him, but to accept monthly alimony payments from the woman who humiliated him, belittled him, and broke his heart? He would rather live under a bridge and starve.

"What do you want?" Jon asked again.

Val sighed, was quiet for a few moments, then said, "I wanted to talk to you about something. I wanted to tell you something."

"Alright. What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

Jon shrugged. "Well, it's not mine."

Val rolled her eyes. "I know it's not yours. I just found out a couple days ago, and I wanted you to hear it from me and not, like, on Facebook or something."

"I don't have a Facebook anymore."

"Well. . . we're also getting married."

"Congratulations," Jon muttered.

"Jon. . ." Val looked at the side of his head with pleading eyes. "Be honest with me. Did you really think I was your soul mate?"

Finally, Jon looked at her. "Are you trying to say this was my fault? Because I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know," Val said quietly. "It's my fault. Our marriage is over because of me. You're hurt because of me. I'm hurt because you're hurt because of me. But, you have to admit. . . we never really _fit_ together. I'm not trying to excuse what I did. I'm just trying to say that I think that now you can try and find someone who you do fit with."

Jon turned his gaze on the steering wheel. Fit? Soul mates? No, Jon never believed Val was his soul mate, but only because Jon stopped believing in soul mates just before he met Val. You can love someone with your whole heart and soul, but it doesn't mean anything unless you know _how_ to love them. And, at twenty-three, Jon hadn't known how to love the girl he thought could be his soul mate.

Val had been easier to love. She told Jon what she needed from him, and Jon gave it to her. She told Jon what she wanted, and Jon gave that to her, too. There was no mystery, no repressed desires, no out of the ordinary requests, no begging. Val never begged Jon for anything. It was easy. But was it wholly fulfilling? No. But that was what porn was for, and his imagination, and his memories. Jon had felt so guilty whenever he would remember Dany, when he would think about her and all the things he could have done differently. He was older now, by more than four years, and he knew things about people like him and people like Dany that he hadn't before. The internet was a great thing. 

He would fantasize about being at Berkeley again, but instead of fucking Dany rough, he would give her what she really needed: someone to take care of her. To put sunscreen on her back, to pick her up from the floor, to put her in clean cozy clothes, to kiss her softly and touch her gently, to get her food when she's hungry and make sure she's buckled in when she's in the car. That was what she needed more than all the things she told him she needed that night they pushed their relationship too far. She needed sex, that much was clear, but there were so many other ways Jon could have satisfied her without giving into both of their most primal urges. That would come later, after Jon had successfully broken down Dany's scruples and made her feel loved and safe and comfortable to be her true self with him, and not while she was high or drunk.

Jon thought of all these things, but they were just fantasies. He never would have sought Dany out. He never even Googled her name while he and Val were married. Still, he felt so guilty each time he would think of Dany when he was lonely or while he jerked off. He felt guilty for thoughts he had, but did Val ever feel guilty while she was getting railed by the neighbor before having dinner with Jon?

"No," Jon finally said. "I never thought you were my soul mate or that we fit. But you were the first person that could make me happy after Dany."

Silence enveloped them. Jon had told Val about Dany when they were dating. He didn't mention the nurturing acts he would do for her that he never felt so compelled to do for others, and he never got into the details about the kind of sex they had the night of her birthday. But Jon did tell Val that he fell for a girl in high school only to be separated from her until college, and that he loved her deeply, but everything fell apart after she regretted having sex with him. "She was too fragile," Jon had told Val, and immediately hated himself for saying the words aloud. Certainly, Dany was fragile, but she was never _too_ fragile. Jon was just not careful enough. 

But Jon hadn't uttered Dany's name since before their wedding. Val didn't like that Jon had loved someone before loving her. Even now, with Val marrying the neighbor and carrying his baby, Jon still felt her jealousy.

"I think Dany has always been my soul mate," Jon confessed. Maybe he was trying to hurt Val, to tell her that while Jon hadn't been enough for her, she also hadn't been enough for Jon. And yet, Jon still felt shame.

They remained silent for a good minute before Val finally responded. "Do you know where she is?"

Jon sighed, leaning against the back of the seat. "I know where she works," he said. "She's back here in LA."

Val nodded slowly. "Is she single?"

Jon looked suspiciously at her. "Does this make you feel better? Are you feeling absolved now?"

"No," she quietly answered.

"Good," stated Jon curtly. "I don't know if she's single. All I know is where she works."

"You should reconnect with her. Maybe you're her soul mate, too."

* * * * *

**DECEMBER, 2019**

As usual, Jon awoke before Dany. He had slid from bed, put clothes on, took his meds, brewed some coffee, and was doing work at the small dining table. Every few minutes, his gaze would move to Dany, sleeping so peacefully upon her tummy, the soft morning light making her skin glow. She soon stirred, moaning low, face in a grimace before she even opened her eyes. She turned onto her side and curled in on herself, moaning again, but not the pleasant sort of moan Jon had grown accustomed to.

He left the table and sat beside Dany upon the bed, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked her softly, lulling her awake. She moaned again, arms dipping under the blankets to hold her tummy. Jon asked once more, “Are you okay, Dany?”

“Cramps,” she muttered through gritted teeth. 

“Want me to get you something?”

Dany's eyes widened then as all of her senses came alive to deduce what had happened. She lifted the blankets and peered down. Her naked vulva and inner thighs were smeared with blood, and the sheet below her hip was stained bright red.

“Shit, I'm sorry,” she hissed, temperature rising to the millionth degree. Her back and forehead immediately percolated with sweat. 

Jon looked down and took in the sight of her lying in her own blood. His own temperature rose with panic for a split second before he remembered that this was natural, and not some medical emergency. 

“It's okay,” he quickly said, lifting his hands to her shoulders. “Stay right here. I'll be right back.” He went into the kitchen and returned a minute later with a cup full of water and two Advils. “Open,” he gently instructed. 

Dany tiled her head up and opened her mouth so that Jon could drop one pill into her mouth. He lifted the lip of the water cup to Dany's mouth, and she took a sip, swallowing down the pill. The process was repeated with the second pill, and Jon set the water cup on the nightstand. 

“Let's get you cleaned up,” he softly said, curving an arm around her back with the other hooking under her knees. He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down in front of the toilet and helping her to sit. 

Eyes half-lidded from sleep and pain, Dany slouched on the toilet, head lulling to the side to rest against Jon's flat stomach as he soothed her hair. She peed, simultaneously letting gravity expel thick dollops of menstrual blood. 

“I'm sorry,” Dany muttered. “First I puke all over your floor, and now I got my period all over your sheets.”

“Don't apologize, baby. You didn't do anything wrong. This is just what the body does. You have no reason to be ashamed of it. Besides, I got new sheets the other day and this gives me a good opportunity to put them on.”

“I'll probably just ruin those, too.”

“Well, then I'll just go get even more sheets. I'll put new sheets on every day if I have to. It'll do wonders for my skin.” 

Dany chuckled softly, though it soon turned into a pained groan. When Jon began to clean her vagina with tissue, Dany winced.

“Sore?” he asked. 

She nodded. 

Jon quit this act, flushed the toilet, and helped Dany into the bathtub. She shivered, her body bare to the morning chill that seeped in through the single-pane bathroom window. Jon took off his hoodie and put it on Dany, zipping it up to her throat. She tucked her hands in the sleeves and put her hands in the pockets, bunching the material up around her waist so that it wouldn't impede Jon from cleaning her. 

Jon turned the bath faucet on and when the water got warm, he wet a terrycloth wash cloth and pressed it to Dany's thigh, washing away the half-dried blood. He rinsed the blood from the cloth and washed her vulva next, scrubbing gently the blood from her silvery pubic hair. He had Dany part her legs and he washed her vagina, cleaning away the blood as gently as possible. 

“Is it usually this much?” Jon asked, making Dany's cheeks flush red and her eyebrows furrow with humiliation. 

“Sometimes,” she mumbled bashfully. 

He caressed her hip with a warm, wet palm. “Nothing your body does will ever disgust me or make me thinking less of you. You know that, right?”

Dany nodded, smiling softly through her embarrassment and achiness. When she was all clean, Jon dried her off with a plush hand towel, not caring in the least if it got a little bloody, which it did. He tossed the used washcloth and towel in the sink, then retrieved a box of U by Kotex brand tampons from the cabinet under the sink. 

Taken aback, Dany asked, “You just had those in there? How did you know what kind of tampons I use?” 

Jon smiled, opening the box and plucking out a super-absorbency tampon in a hot pink wrapper. “I went through your bathroom, remember?”

“Oh.” Dany smiled back. Maybe the pain killers were already kicking in, but Dany was beginning to feel more at ease, even as Jon instructed her to rest a foot on the lip of the tub. 

“Are you relaxed?” Jon asked her as he gently grazed her vaginal opening with her fingertips. 

She nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. 

With his other hand, Jon lifted the pink plastic tampon to where his fingers lingered, guiding the way. Jon's eyes stared at Dany's navel, and he pressed the smooth tube through her channel slowly, slowly, slowly, until the fingers pinching the tube bumped her opening. He stretched his thumb down to the thin plastic plunger and pressed it upward, pushing the gauze from the tube to fit snug inside her and absorb her menstrual blood before any more could spill out involuntarily. 

He slowly pulled the plastic tube from Dany's channel and removed his hands from between her thighs. His eyes met Dany's. “That wasn't so weird, was it?”

Dany shook her head, then watched as Jon dropped the pink, bloody tube in the waste can. His finger tips were bloody as well. He rinsed them thoroughly under the bathtub tap. He washed her vagina once more with the terrycloth, then dried her again as well. When that was done, Jon brought Dany out of the bathroom and found her a clean pair of panties for her to wear from the stash of clothes Dany had left in one of his dresser drawers. After dressing her in the panties, Jon helped her into a pair of his flannel pajama pants. He pulled them up to her waist and rolled up the legs so she could walk comfortably. 

“I'll fix you some hot chocolate before I change the sheets. How does that sound?”

Dany nodded, that starry-eyed look in her eyes as she smiled up at him. “Thank you,” she said, near tears. 

Jon's palms cradled her jaw. “I love you so much,” he replied before pressing a gentle kiss to the center of her forehead. 

Dany's eyes fluttered and her arms went around Jon's middle. Jon curled his own arms around her shoulders and held her tight, a palm rested against the back of her head, fingers splayed. She placed her cheek against his shoulder and inhaled his scent while she snuggled closely to him, never ever wanting to let go. 

Christmas Eve and Dany was on her period. Oh how the universe loved to taunt her. If Jon had any extra special gifts to give her tonight or tomorrow, this would surely put a damper on things. But not even the churning pain in Dany's abdomen could bring her spirits down when she was going to get to spend the holidays with Jon for the first time. Even without their sexy playtime, Jon would make everything special. She had faith in him. 

“Do you think you need to ditch out on today?” 

Dany groaned as Jon's words broke her out of her reveries. That's right. . . While Christmas was reserved for just the two of them, Christmas Eve had been booked for almost a month. It turned out, something could bring Dany's mood down, but she quickly put on a pleasant face, ignored her pain, and said, “No, I can still go. I don't want you to have to go alone.”

“I'll be fine if you don't want to go.”

“I want to go,” Dany insisted. It wasn't a full lie, because Dany wanted to support Jon and hopefully give him strength to deal with his problematic family. 

But no. . . Dany was looking forward to an afternoon with the Starks almost as little as Jon was.


	15. Chapter 15

**DECEMBER, 2019**

“We don't have to go in,” Dany said after they had been sitting in Jon's civic for nearly ten minutes, just staring at the large house on Big Bear Mountain, decorated with strings of Christmas lights. The roof was laden with snow as was the front yard. 

“We do,” Jon sighed. “I promised him I would show up.” Him being Robb, Jon's same-age half-brother and one of the few family members he was still willingly in contact with. Robb had inherited the family business when their father died, and it was doing him well financially. At twenty-eight, Robb had his own house in Los Angeles as well as a vacation home North in Big Bear. He always loved the snow. “And I drove us all the way up here.”

It had only been a two hour drive, even with not so great road conditions, but seeing his family all together for the first time since last Christmas put Jon on edge and made him dramatic. 

For nearly the extent of the drive up, Jon told Dany everything she could possibly need to know about the family members she was about to meet. It was a way to calm Dany's nerves – to make these people seem less like strangers – but it was also a good venting opportunity for Jon to get some things off his chest. Dany was told to expect Cat to ignore both she and Jon and not to take it personally. “It's for the best. Trust me,” he'd said. Jon went on to warn her about Robb. “Just. . . let me know if you ever catch him drinking.”

He also warned Dany about his half-sisters. “They're sweet _most of the time._ Arya is really opinionated, though, and has absolutely no filter. She'll probably try to argue with you about something just for fun. Her and Sansa are always bickering. Sansa might like you. Well. . . actually. . . probably not.”

“Aren't you supposed to be easing my anxieties?” Dany asked with a chuckle as they wound their way up the snowy mountain pass. 

Jon replied with only a grimaced expression. It was difficult to curb Dany's nerves when he was so chalk full of them himself. “Bran is a sweetheart!” he optimistically exclaimed. “He's pretty quiet, though, so I don't know how much he'll actually say to you.”

That was how it was. Reassurances followed by the opposite. By the time they arrived at Robb's Winter home, Dany was only sure of one thing: she was very much looking forward to going home. 

“I can drive us back,” Dany suggested as they continued to sit in the Civic, neither making any move to leave the car. 

“No, it's too icy. I don't want you driving.”

Dany squinted suspiciously at him. “You think I'm a bad driver.”

Jon chuckled. “I don't. I just like driving you around.”

“Well. . . we could just sit here all day and eventually freeze to death.”

“That is an option,” Jon mused. 

“Maybe it won't be so bad.”

“Maybe.” Jon heaved another sigh then finally got out of the car. He walked around to open Dany's door for her, and he held onto her hand as they walked up Robb's front steps, their boots crunching in the slush on the concrete. 

“It's only for a few hours,” Dany whispered as they awaited on the porch for the door to be answered. 

Indeed it was only for a few hours. They would be gone after dinner, and Jon would drive them all the way back to LA to have their own special Christmas Eve time together. But a few hours could feel like a lifetime when you were around people who caused you so much discomfort.

The door opened, and Robb's wife, Talisa, greeted them with a wide smile and joyful pleasantries. Jon gave her a hug and introduced her to Dany.

“Oh my goodness, you are so pretty,” Talisa cheered as she gave Dany a tight hug. 

“Thank you. You are, too,” Dany replied quickly. It was true. Robb's wife was a stunner with olive skin, dark hair, and round eyes that gushed affection. 

Talisa ushered them both inside and showed them where they could hang their coats. “Everyone is in the family room. There's cookies and eggnog in the kitchen. Apple cider, too. Spiced and sparkling. I just got the ovens going, so dinner will be in a couple of hours.”

_A couple of hours?_ Jon and Dany both hid their disappointment well behind big smiles. 

As Jon helped Dany with her coat, Dany asked Talisa where the downstairs bathroom was.

Jon had half the mind to accompany Dany to the bathroom, but he knew that would only look weird to Talisa and to his family. So, he begrudgingly left Dany to take care of her business by herself while he went to greet the party on his own. 

Talisa showed Dany to a powder room beside the stairs, and Dany was grateful to surreptitiously slip inside. The drive had been alright, but as soon as she got out of the car it seemed gravity was determined to humiliate her. It had only been little over two hours since Jon replaced her tampon, but this new one was already saturated, and she had no choice but to replace it. She only had one extra tampon in her purse now. If things continued down this path, she may have to nose through the cabinets and steal something of Talisa's before the day was through. 

Her cramps had not subsided either, but Dany had brought the Advil bottle with her just in case and popped two of them after washing her hands. As much as she hated to leave Jon to mingle with his family alone, Dany couldn't help her nerves, and she lingered in the powder room for a couple extra minutes doing some deep breathing and trying to right her head. 

When Dany finally found her way into the festive living room, her eyes immediately caught sight of the 7-foot tree that dominated one corner of the room, decorated with lights, ornaments, and silver strings of beads. 

A real Christmas tree? Dany's parents never liked that sort of kitsch seasonal decor, and Dany never bothered putting one up to spend the holiday alone. Missandei and Grey started setting up a tree after Nathan was born, but somehow they always died by the time Christmas rolled around.

As attentions turned to her, Dany's heart rate skyrocketed. 

Everyone stared at her. Sure, they were smiling and looked friendly enough, but all Dany saw were their eyes. Sure, it only lasted a second before Jon was shooting up from where he sat to go to Dany, but it felt like hours.

"Hey, baby," Jon said softly as he curved an arm around her shoulders.

A young man's voice called out from the sofa, "We we're starting to think Jon had made you up!"

Some chuckled at that, but Dany just felt awkward. 

Jon didn't even bother to feign amusement. "This is my girlfriend, Dany. Actually, maybe some of you remember her. She lived next door to us growing up."

"I remember," an auburn haired man in his late 20s spoke before he stood from a blue armchair. "We went to high school together." It was Robb. Dany didn't remember Robb from school, having not paid any real attention to anyone at Harrenhal besides Jon, but she did recognize him from Jon's old Facebook photos. Even so many years later, and when none of it really mattered, Dany still felt a pang of jealousy that Robb had accompanied Jon on his trip and not Dany. 

Robb gave Dany a short hug. Such warmth from a man besides Jon or Grey made Dany uncomfortable, and she didn't like that the hug demanded Jon release her from his hold, but she hugged Robb back anyway. He was Jon's brother after all, and in some awkward way that sort of almost made Robb kind of her family. 

"We're so glad you could come along," Robb said with a happy sincerity. "It's nice to see my bro happy again. And if you ask me, you look way better next to Jon than Val did. She was just too tall. Jon looked itty bitty next to her."

Jon sent Robb a pointed look, not appreciating the playful jabs in front of Dany, especially when it involved mentioning his ex-wife. "We were basically the same height. And can we not bring up Val?”

"Well I really am itty bitty, so Jon always seems tall to me," Dany replied, slipping her arm around Jon's waist. She didn't mind the references to Jon's ex, because she was not threatened by Val, and she was determined to not feel threatened by any of the Starks either. 

Robb took the liberty of introducing the rest of the party-goers to Dany. There were Jon's half-sisters, red-headed Sansa and petite Arya, Jon's half-brothers, Bran and Rickon, along with Bran's girlfriend, Meera. And of course, there was Cat, Jon's step-mother.

"We're about to play Cards Against Humanity!" Arya said. The box was already on the coffee table.

"I don't know if that's an appropriate game," Cat bemused. "It sounds salacious."

"It's fun, Mom," Arya argued. "And now that Rickon's eighteen, we're all adults now. Who cares if it's a little salacious?"

Cat stood, smoothing her dress. "I think I'll go help Talisa in the kitchen and let you kids play."

While Arya doled the white cards out to everyone, Jon and Dany sat together on the sofa with Sansa at Dany's other side. Dany had played this game before at Missandei's house, but it was different when playing with friends. Dany didn't like playing with these strangers. She didn't like being around them, and the fact that Jon wasn't even charming enough to pretend to be comfortable around them just made things worse. 

_It's only for a few hours,_ Dany told herself. _As soon as dinner is over, we'll make up some excuse and slip out. Easy._

The first time anyone spoke directly to Dany since she sat down was when Sansa leaned in to her and said, “I don't know what this word means.” Dany looked at the card and, without qualm, explained quietly to Sansa the definition of 'bukkake.' Instead of a thank you, Sansa squinted her eyes at Dany and said, “How do you know what that is?” like it was an accusation. 

“Uh. . .” Dany went flush. “I play this game a lot.”

“Don't mind her,” Arya said from the loveseat adjacent to Sansa, having overheard their whispered conversations. “Sansa's a prude.”

Sansa snapped at her younger sister, “Just because I won't make a Tinder doesn't mean I'm a prude.”

“Hey, if you're fine being a virgin forever. . .”

Sansa's eyes went wide, ears steaming. 

“Oh God, can we please not talk about sex,” Robb laughed awkwardly. “I would like to live blissfully ignorant that both my little sisters are virgins forever.”

Bran piped in with, “It's kind of hard not to talk about sex when playing Cards Against Humanity.”

Dany leaned in toward Sansa and commiserated. “I didn't lose my virginity til I was twenty-one.”

“I'm twenty-four,” Sansa snapped, unappreciative. 

Arya snickered in response. Robb joined in briefly before excusing himself to the bathroom. “Don't skip me!” he demanded, fierce but jovial. 

Jon leaned in close to Dany and asked if she was feeling alright. 

“I'm okay,” she whispered, though in truth, she felt quite light headed. She suddenly realized she hadn't eaten anything since Jon fixed her hot chocolate and oatmeal early that morning. “I'm just hungry.”

“I'll get you something to snack on.”

“I'll get it,” Dany said, needing a break from the familial bickering. She stood and left swiftly to the kitchen. 

Talisa was shoving a ham into the oven, a large ham that would take a long time to bake. Dany's stomach ached, but not just with hunger or cramps. _What if we aren't out of here in a few hours?_

Cat stopped saying whatever she was saying to Talisa mid-sentence as soon as Dany entered the room. Instead, she asked Dany about her parents. “How are they? I haven't seen them in years.” She was at the kitchen island, sipping on a mug of eggnog.

Dany couldn't meet the woman's eye. All she had heard about Cat were bad things, things that made Dany loath her. The kind, gentle tone of Cat's voice compelled Dany to be polite back, which only made her feel guilty. There was sparkling cider on the counter, and Dany poured some into a white wine glass. “They're alright,” she answered briskly. 

“Are you visiting with them tomorrow?”

Dany was confused for a moment. Tomorrow? Oh. . . Christmas. “No,” she answered before bringing the glass to her lips and taking a few big sips, pretending it was wine. 

“Why not?” Cat asked, disapproval in her countenance. 

“They live in Florida.”

“You didn't plan a visit?”

“No,” Dany answered, taking another sip, “and neither did they.”

Cat nodded slowly, but her expression remained judgmental. “How does your father feel about your relationship with Jon?”

Dany squinted curiously at the question. _What does that matter?_ “He doesn't care,” Dany answered. It wasn't a lie. Aerys didn't care. He didn't care about Dany. So, Dany decided he didn't deserve to know about her personal affairs. 

“I just remember he wasn't such a fan of Jon sneaking into your room when you were kids.”

Dany's eyes squinted further, less with confusion and more with contempt. Not just for her father for obviously tattling on Jon to his parents, but also for Cat. _What did you do to him?_ she wanted to ask, but Jon wouldn't want her starting drama this way, so Dany conceded herself to seethe silently. 

Meanwhile, Jon did not like being separated from Dany again, even if only for a minute. He stood and mumbled something about going into the kitchen to help her find those snacks. 

“I think she can find a cookie on her own,” Arya chided comically. 

“Maybe I want one, too,” Jon retorted, moving toward the kitchen. 

“You're just doing that thing again!” Arya exclaimed in her usual _I see right through you_ tone. 

“What thing?” Jon asked, though he knew he shouldn't have. 

“You know, Val always hated it when you would try and treat her like a child.”

Jon's brows furrowed. “What are you talking about? I never treated her like a child.”

“You were always needing to do things for her like she couldn't do them for herself. You were smothering. You never let her breathe.”

“Let her breathe? She was home alone for nine hours every day. Oh wait, no. She wasn't alone. She was fucking our neighbor.” At this point, everyone in the living room was silent and listening uncomfortably. “And since when do you know anything about my marriage?”

“I like Val,” Arya stated nonchalantly. “We keep in touch. She talks to me more than you do.”

“So, she told you that she cheated on me because I was too helpful?” Jon was livid at this point. 

His voice carried into the kitchen, drawing Dany's attention to the frustration in Jon's tone as she plopped a cube of cheese into her mouth. Her heart raced from the sound of Jon so angry. Dany had experienced a lot with Jon, but genuine anger was new. She decided she hated it, and wished Jon would never be angry again. 

“Well, no. She said she just didn't feel sexually fulfilled by you,” Arya replied. 

“Oh shit,” teen-aged Rickon mumbled under his breath, and he wasn't the only one who felt second-hand embarrassment from Arya's statement. 

To make matters worse, she continued to explain, “What I'm trying to say is that you need to stop treating the women your with like they're helpless. If you smother this new girl the way you tried to smothered Val, she's just going to get sick of you and leave.”

“You don't know what you're talking about, Arya,” Jon muttered, when what he really wanted to say was _Fuck you._

“I'm a woman, Jon. I know what I'm talking about.”

“No, you don't.” Jon turned and left the room to awkward silence. 

As he crossed the threshold into the kitchen, Cat caught him by the arm. He flinched. “This is Christmas Eve, Jon,” Cat told him with a sigh in her expression. “Can we cool it on the drama for one day?”

She did not wait for a response before joining the crowd in the living room. Jon's eyes rolled heavily once she was out of eyeline, and he went straight to Dany who wore a glum, awkward expression. 

“You okay?” Jon asked. 

Dany responded with a sigh, a fake smile, and a nod before tossing a couple more cheese cubes into her mouth. Jon made her laugh mid-chew when he grabbed a handful and stuffed his mouth with them all in one go. 

“Can we help you with anything?” Dany asked Talisa, eager to wait out this whole affair between the four walls of this kitchen. “I can't cook, but I'm a really good stirrer.”

Talisa turned from the stove, her face glowing with a bright, thankful smile. “I could use a lot of help, actually. Do you think you two could take over while I check on the baby? I think he's waking up.” Talisa gestured to the iPad propped against the back splash showing a surveillance feed of the upstairs nursery. The frame was positioned above a crib, like the camera was part of a dangling mobile, and showed a small baby lied on it's back, arms and limbs moving about wakefully. 

“Aww,” Dany cooed. “Of course. Take your time.”

In a flash, Talisa was zooming out of the kitchen in the direction of the stairwell, leaving Jon and Dany to uncomfortably assess what it was she had been doing at the stove, and how to properly help. 

“What is this?” Dany asked in a whisper as she began to stir some milky concoction. 

Jon shook his head with a look that said, “I've got no idea, but it looks weird.” 

* * * * *

It turned out that the milky substance Talisa had been boiling on the stove was a base for the stuffing, and when it was all cooked and ready to eat, it looked and smelled delicious. Dany's mouth watered. She was starving, having not eaten all day. Jon pulled out a chair for her at the long dining room table, then sat in the one beside it. 

“Do you need anything?” he quietly asked her. 

She smiled and shook her head. As long as she could eat soon, she would be fine. 

“Why do you keep asking her that?” asked Arya as she took the seat across from Jon. The corner of her mouth was turned up in a smirk that told Jon she was planning on keeping this joke up the whole evening. 

“You're not funny.”

“I'm not trying to be funny. You're just doing the thing. . .”

Before Jon could snap at his sister, Dany interjected, “He's just trying to make sure I'm okay.”

“Why wouldn't you be okay?” Arya asked suspiciously. 

_Because I'm surrounded by strangers. Because I'm surrounded by people who have harmed my boyfriend, but I feel I can't say anything about it without making things worse. Because I'm here instead of at home being doted upon as I bleed heavily from a uterus that seems to have a personal vendetta against me. Because I feel about ready to pass out. Because I just inserted my last tampon, and I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about it. Because things just are not RIGHT._

Dany shrugged. “I've just never really done the whole family dinner thing before.”

“You have a family,” spoke Cat from one end of the table. “You never ate dinner together?”

A pit grew in Jon's belly, not liking that his family was putting Dany on the spot. 

But Dany gave a decent impression of someone who was okay. Still, though, she reached for Jon's hand under the table and squeezed it firmly. “No, not really,” she answered. 

“Well, that one's the fork,” Sansa said from her seat across from Dany, pointing to the cutlery beside Dany's plate. “That's the spoon. And that's the knife.”

Jon glared at his red-headed half-sister and bid her pointedly to “Stop.”

The mood shifted as soon as Robb bounced up to the head of the table, fresh from another trip to the upstairs bathroom. He wore a jolly smile and dove his hand onto Rickon's head, rustling his thick mop of hair the way a jolly uncle would. Jon squinted his eyes at his brother with an uneasy feeling. 

“Alright, who's ready to eat?” Robb exclaimed before calling out to his wife. “Babe, is everything on the table?!”

Talisa emerged from the kitchen with a big basket of rolls. “Yep!” She shoved over the green beans and cauliflower to make room for the basket on the table. 

“Should I put some music on while we eat?” Robb inquired, hands tapping rhythmically against the back of a dining room chair like he was already hearing a tune in his head. “I've got Michael Buble!”

“Please, no,” Rickon groaned. 

Cat was the deciding vote. “I don't think we need any music, Robb.”

“Roger that.” Robb leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mother's cheek. 

Such a mama's boy. Jon almost rolled his eyes. If she only knew what Jon knew. . . But Jon was sworn to secrecy, and he would never betray Robb. Even now. Even right now when Jon was so sure that Robb was sneaking upstairs not to use the bathroom, but to sneak a swig of whatever liquor he had hidden around the house. Jon's eyes moved to Talisa, the only other person at this table – besides Dany now – who knew of Robb's problems, but she didn't seem concerned. She lived with him, though. Maybe the changes happened so gradually she hadn't yet realized them. Or maybe she knew, and was keeping it hushed for the sake of this God awful get-together. 

Once Robb was seated, everyone dug into the food Talisa prepared almost single-handedly. Platters were passed around the table, and every time Jon got hold of something he knew Dany liked, he doled some out onto her plate before serving himself. As he spooned mashed potatoes onto Dany's plate, he felt the judgmental gaze of Arya lock on him from across the table. Jon threw the glare right back at her. 

“Really?” Arya asked, a snicker in her voice. She was loving this, compiling more receipts to use as evidence that Jon was an overbearing control freak who babied the women he was with. 

_Why was she still talking to Val anyway?_ Jon silently boiled. 

Dany noticed the tension and decided to take the bowl of mashed potatoes into her own hands and finish what Jon had started herself. She hoped Jon wouldn't take it as a slight, she just didn't want any drama to pick up again. She didn't want Jon to be judged for doing something that Dany appreciated. She liked that Jon knew off the top of his head what foods Dany liked and didn't like, and that he knew just how much of it she should eat. It didn't mean Dany could only eat that much, or that she had to eat that much. These actions of Jon's were not demands, but suggestions. He wasn't controlling, he was helping. 

No, controlling was what he had done to her last night, and had she been feeling tip top, Dany would have let that memory carry her through this uncomfortable feast. But alas, intense abdominal cramps and the looming fear of bleeding through her leggings did not put Dany in the mood to fantasize.

“So, Jon said you're an attorney, too,” Talisa said to Dany, smiling kindly at her. 

Talisa was seated at the other head of the table, adjacent to Dany, and Dany was grateful to have someone with Talisa's positive energy so close to her. If Dany tried really hard, she could pretend Talisa was Missandei, and it put her more at ease. 

“Yeah,” Dany replied. “Well, we work together.”

“You're a public defender, too?” Robb asked from all the way at the other end of the table, his loud voice carrying effortlessly. 

Dany flushed, realizing the spotlight was once again on her. “No,” she answered. “I'm a civil attorney.”

“You suing companies or representing them?” Arya asked. 

“Um, both,” Dany answered, but before she could elaborate, Robb's booming voice inquired:

“Oh, you're talking about that fancy firm Jon started working at a little while ago? Shit. You know, he told me he wasn't ever gonna work for one of those greedy corporate offices.”

Cat lightly swatted Robb's shoulder, telling him not to curse at the table. 

Dany's brow furrowed at Robb's implication. “We don't only represent corporations. We represent a lot of people against corporations, too.”

Robb raised his hands in surrender. “Hey. I own a company, and I would be drowning without my counsel. I am not here to knock on corporate lawyers. I'm just saying, I never pegged Jon for one of those greedy mother fu-- um, greedy people. And I mean greedy with the upmost affection.”

“I think it's good that you're working for a reputable firm,” Cat said to Jon, “I always found it distasteful that you chose to spend your time with criminals and thugs, but maybe you just understand those people better than most.”

“You know what,” Jon put his fork down, leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath. _Control._ “Adam Lambert should have won American Idol, and I don't know why we all stopped talking about that.”

Dany smiled at Jon's effort. “He really should've.”

“I mean, what even is Kris Allen doing?” Jon asked, desperately trying to channel his anger into American Idol gossip. 

“Who even is Kris Allen?” Dany asked. 

“Exactly! Who knows? He could be anyone. Any random white man walking down the street could be him. We just don't know.”

“Um, I love Kris Allen actually,” Bran announced. “I listen to him all the time. I'm a total Allen-head.”

Jon snorted a genuine laugh at his little brother. “You do not. Shut the fuck up.”

The sound of Cat's fork slamming onto the plate was like a fog horn right in Jon's ear. “I will not condone language like that at the dinner table,” Cat chided. 

“It's okay, Mom,” Robb said, giving Cat a pat on the shoulder. “How about this food everyone? Isn't Talisa a fucking Goddess? Shit. I'm sorry.”

Cat glared at her eldest son, but said nothing. 

Jon chuckled silently before joining in in thanking Talisa for her amazing cooking. 

Of the same mind, both Jon and Dany ate quickly, but were dismayed to discover that the Starks and the rest of the guests were not quite so eager to drive this party to a conclusion. It was almost five o'clock. The sun was going down and Jon really wanted to get back to Dany's apartment with enough time to finish the night off special. No sex, but maybe a scary movie in bed and a few scoops of cookie dough.

Jon was shoveling a spoonful of stuffing into his mouth when Arya asked Talisa, "So, are you two going to Val's wedding?" Jon nearly choked, feeling bits of bread crumbs in his esophagus.

"I don't know," Talisa answered. "I don't think we've RSVPed yet."

Jon swallowed hard, coughing with a closed mouth. "I'm sorry. Did you say you were invited to Val's wedding?" he asked Talisa.

Arya answered for her. "I think we all were."

Jon's blood temperature rose as he addressed the table. "Were you all invited to Val's wedding?"

A murmur of awkward affirmatives circled the table. Even Meera apprehensively bobbed her head.

"Why would Val invite you all to her wedding?"

"We liked Val," Arya explained like it was nothing.

Dany grimaced as she watched Jon's micro-expressions shift. Anger slowly overtook him. She could see the tension in the lines on his face. She could see the struggle he was putting himself through to remain calm.

"I don't really care if you liked her, Arya" Jon replied through a tight jaw. "She's my ex. You can't just hang out with her. She was a monster."

"That's a little melodramatic. I mean, yeah, she made mistakes, but that doesn't make her a monster.”

“She cheated on me!”

Cat's voice seeped into the mix with another statement of disapproval. “Again with the fighting!”

“So that means I can't talk to her?” Arya scoffed. “Jeez, Jon. I get your pissed at her, but it isn't like she beat you."

Jon was creeping closer and closer to his boiling point. He feared his plate wouldn't remain in one piece for much longer. He turned to Dany and said, "We need to leave." No code word. Just straight up.

"Oh my God, Jon. Don't leave," Arya said with an exasperated sigh. "I didn't think you would be so hung up on it still. I mean, you have a new girlfriend, who you've supposedly been in love with for a decade. Why do you care what Val did when you never even loved her?"

"I did love her," Jon snapped. "I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, but she fucked that up. Not me."

Before Cat could complain about his language, Jon stood, kicking his chair back harshly, and marched out of the dining room. A few moments later, the front door slammed shut, vibrating the entire first floor.

Dany twisted in the direction he'd gone, panicked by his sudden exit and paralyzed by his outburst. _"I was going to spend the rest of my life with her."_ But what about Dany? Who was she going to spend the rest of her life with? If she was truly supposed to be with Jon, that would mean she would have to spend her life alone, forever pining. She felt tears prickle under her eyelids.

Robb stood like he was going to run after Jon, but Cat's voice kept him in place.

"I told you not to invite him," she muttered. “He never did respect this family.”

Dany looked from the path Jon had taken to Cat with her dismissive gaze, then to Arya with her bewildered expression, as if she hadn't goaded the reaction out of Jon. But Dany wouldn't let herself be goaded. "You're right," she told Arya, capturing the twenty-two-year-old's attention. "Val didn't beat Jon. That was your mother."

Silence overtook the room for a few suffocating seconds.

"Excuse me?" Cat's voice eventually rang out with confusion, as if she had no idea what Dany was talking about.

Dany stood, turning her eyes back to Cat. "I said you beat him."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You beat him continuously throughout his entire childhood," --She addressed the table-- "and you all did nothing. And now, you all pretend like it never happened. Well that's convenient for you, but not for Jon."

Cat responded, "I may have punished him for--"

"No," Dany interrupted. "Those were not punishments. That's abuse. You know, he had a breakdown a couple weeks ago. He started crying in the middle of the grocery store because he still has trouble dealing with the fact that you abused him when he did nothing except exist. He was a good person, and you hated him. He was a child, and you hurt him."

"Dany."

Dany turned, and so did everyone else. Jon had come back in to get her, and was now standing just behind Robb. He looked like the rage had washed out of him, replaced by exhaustion and misery.

Dany hated to see Jon in such a state, and she directed her next chastisement at Arya. "And then Val hurt him, and you treat it like a joke, and you try to convince Jon that it was somehow his fault. It makes sense to me why you'd be friends with Val, though, since you're both fucking awful."

"That's enough of this!" Cat declared.

"And you're a cunt," Dany threw at Cat.

"What?" the older woman seemed to suck all the air out of the room with her gasp.

"You're a cunt, and you owe Jon an apology."

"Dany, it's okay," Jon said, desperation in his pointed gaze. "Let's go."

Dany scanned the table, gauging everyone's silence as they stared up at her like she was a specter come to show them of Christmas past. "Really?" she asked incredulously, even chuckling at the absurdity of their denial. "Nothing? No one has anything to say? You're all still content to pretend it never happened? Or, do you all have collective amnesia? Fine. Whatever." She scooted her chair back and marched around the table to where Jon was impatiently waiting for her. But she turned just as his hand took her arm, and she gave her final address. "I get why Val would like all of you, since you're all liars who don't give a shit about Jon. You have _so_ much in common."

It took everything in Jon not to pick Dany up and carry her out of the house less she start a full blown riot at the dinner table. But thankfully, Dany was finished, and she bitterly allowed Jon to guide her to the foyer.

Jon knew that he should thank Dany. She had just said everything Jon had wished to tell his family since he was a little boy soothing bruises under frozen peas while his siblings played jovially with the toys they unwrapped on Christmas Eve. But he was too angry. Angry that he had driven all the way up here. Angry that he had dragged Dany to this awful event. Angry that he still hated himself enough to drag himself to this awful event. Angry that it had to be Dany to tell his family off and not him. Angry that he wasn't strong enough to handle his own family.

Hurt was added to that anger when Dany refused to let Jon help her into her coat. She grabbed it from his hands and put it on herself. She was angry, too. _Angry with me?_

Murmured voices could be heard from the dining room, and Jon desperately wanted to leave before he could hear all the ways his family would rationalize the truth. He held the front door open, and as soon as Dany could grab her purse from the hook on the wall, she was marching out of the house and down the--

_Smack._ Dany's boot slid out from under her on a porch step layered with slush, and she landed hard on her butt.

"Fuck," she groaned, then pushed Jon away when he tried to help her.

"Are you mad at me?" Jon asked incredulously as he was forced to stand back and watch Dany pull herself up off the wet concrete.

"Come on," she said. "We're leaving, right?" She marched with more care but no less urgency across the street and to Jon's car.

"Dany." Jon spoke with dismay and frustration. A cherry on top of a shit sundae. Dany was somehow actually pissed at him. For what?

Dany tried the handle on the passenger side door, but the car was still locked. Jon didn't even have his keys in his hand as he walked to the car wearing a perplexed expression.

"Why are you mad at me?" he asked her, rounding the car to stand before Dany between his Civic and the snow that packed the treeline.

Dany crossed her arms over her chest in a huff, looking away from Jon and into the spaces between the trees.

Jon sighed, growing frustrated himself. "What did I do then? What did I do to make you mad, Dany?"

In a mutter, Dany answered, "You would have spent the rest of your life with her?"

Her question was met with a tired groan. "Dany. . . I married her. That's sort of in the contract. You know that."

"Don't condescend to me," Dany snapped.

"I'm not trying to. I just don't know why you're mad."

"I'm mad because if Val hadn't confessed that she was cheating, you would have stayed with her forever, and I would have been all alone!"

Jon's eyebrows furrowed watching Dany slump her back against the Civic, eyes still not meeting his.

"I would have been all alone or with some asshole. No one would be taking care of me. No one."

Jon released all his anger in a long breath. "Baby. . ."

"So, if you're still so pissed that you weren't able to spend the rest of your life with Val, then what am I? A rebound?"

"You know that's not the case. After all these years, you can't possibly believe that."

Finally, Dany lifted her glossy gaze to Jon and finally asked the question she had been too proud to ask ever since learning of Val. "How could you have married someone else if you loved me the whole time?"

Jon came before Dany, resting his hands on either side of her shoulders, on the edge of the car where the doors curve into the roof. "I married her because she made me happy, and I thought that was love, because no one had ever made me happy except you, and I _loved_ you. And she made me forget about you from time to time, and I know that sucks because you don't deserve to be forgotten. But I thought you didn't want anything to do with me, and I wasn't ready to try and find you. I wasn't ready to try and find what I needed. She was the rebound, Dany. You are the one I'm meant to be with."

Dany looked down, shaking her head, but her muscles were losing their tension. "Then why would you say you would have spent the rest of your life with her?"

"Because I'm stupid," Jon answered. "I said it because I want to blame Val for everything. Because I was pissed at Arya for trying to say the divorce was partly my fault. The truth is, I didn't want to be married anymore. Val just beat me to the punch, exploding the whole relationship before I had the chance to tell her I wanted out. I was just so mad at her for what she did, that I couldn't take a breath to realize her betrayal meant that I was free, and that I had another chance to find you."

Dany sniffled, bringing her hand up to swipe a finger under her eyelids.

Jon moved his hands to her shoulders, "I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner."

Her head shook, bottom lip jutting out. "I wasn't ready either."

Jon brought Dany into him, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. After a moment, Jon asked, “Did you have to call my step-mother a cunt?”

Dany winced at the word, ashamed that she had used it so callously. “I don't know. I'd never called anyone a cunt before, but it just felt _right.”_

Jon chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head at the situation. “We should go back home.”

“Jon.” Bran's voice separated Jon from Dany. He turned around and looked at his younger brother with a nervous energy. Jon couldn't remember the last time he spoke to Bran apart from the rest of their family. 

“Dany's right,” Bran said to Jon, a plume of steam leaving his mouth as he exhaled the words. “We all knew what was going on, and we all knew it wasn't fair. I guess, cause we all grew up with it happening, it was easy to ignore. And because you were older than most of us, we just thought you could handle it. We didn't know it was fucking you up or turning you against us. At least, I didn't know. I was so young when it was happening, but I think it fucked me up, too. Mostly, when she'd hit you. I'd always run away, usually to my room, and just cry about it. And I'd have nightmares sometimes. I don't know.”

Jon breathed in Bran's confession with the cold air. 

“I didn't really want to come here either,” Bran admitted. “I don't like pretending. It makes me feel like it didn't really happen, and that when I remember it, I'm just making things up. Mom will probably never apologize, but I'm sorry.”

Jon could have cried had he not been so taken aback. “You don't have anything to apologize for. You were a kid.”

“Still. . .” Bran shrugged. 

Jon nodded slowly. “Alright.” 

He wished there was something more he could say, something comforting or brotherly, something to show he was capable of reciprocating a compassionate sentiment with his flesh and blood, but he was coming up empty. No matter how much Jon cared for Bran, and the rest of his siblings, there would always be something holding him at a distance from them. He would never truly feel like _family._

But maybe they could be friends. For the first time since Bran was a little boy, Jon hugged him. 

A voice from the porch brought everyone's attention back to the house. It was Robb, one arm wrapped around himself for warmth and the other stretched over his head, waving at them in big sweeping motions. “Hey!” he called out. “It's time for pie! Get your asses in here!

“We're heading back to LA!” Jon called. 

“It's Christmas Eve, and I probably won't see you again until next Christmas Eve, so get the fuck in here and help me eat all of my wife's goddamn fucking pie! There's also ice cream!”

Bran smiled something more like a grimace and gave another shrug. “Guess I better get in there. Before Arya starts picking on Meera.”

When Bran was gone, Jon groaned heavily, his head pulsing with a new headache. He looked at Dany remorsefully. “I actually really need to talk to Robb. I think he's fucked up.”

Dany released a dejected sigh. “I understand.”

“Are you sure? You can wait in the car with the heater on, and I'll be out as soon as I can.”

As tempting at that sounded, Dany shook her head. “I may as well help Talisa with the dishes while you're talking. I doubt anyone else will.”

“So, you noticed that, right?” Jon asked as he slid his hand into Dany's, not about to let her slip a second time on that blasted porch step. 

“Oh, yeah. But I'm sure Arya would argue they're all just allowing Talisa to be an independent woman by forcing her to cook, and clean, and answer the door for everyone, all while checking on a baby.”

Jon and Dany re-entered the home to find the dining room empty, everyone having left their plates to congregate in the living room. The air felt different when Jon was surrounded by his family now. Tensions were always awkward, but now they were just weird. They looked at him like he was the great-grandfather hobbling into the room to enjoy one last Christmas Eve with his estranged family before croaking – like they were afraid the slightest move would knock Jon over and turn him to dust. Jon had never felt more like an abuse victim than right now, with everyone's uncomfortable, pitying smiles directed at him. 

Robb was his saving grace. He threw his arm around Jon's shoulders and addressed the room with a host's authority. “New Christmas Eve rules. First rule, Arya shuts the fuck up.”

Arya scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest. 

“Second rule. No talking about Val. She's not part of this family anymore. She gave up that privilege when she whored herself out.”

Jon shook his head at the language, but was appreciative of the sentiment. 

“Third rule. Everyone is nice to Dany. If anyone is not nice to Dany, they will be promptly booted out of the house.”

“Robert,” Cat interjected with a stern look. “That girl called me a C-word.”

“Fourth rule!” Robb looked back at his mother. “Mom, you have to apologize to Jon.”

“Robb,” Jon said. He didn't want some awkward, forced apology in front of everyone. In some ways, that would be worse than no apology. 

But Robb ignored Jon, instead holding a long conversation with Cat using only his eyes. 

Yes, Robb had always been Jon's saving grace. Sure, Robb never did anything to stop Cat when they were kids, but he was the only one who ever tried to cheer Jon up after. Any gifts Robb got for Christmas, he would share with Jon like Santa had written both their names on the gift tag. Whenever he got money for snacks, he'd reserve some of it for Jon's favorite things. Whenever he got new clothes, he'd give all his old stuff to Jon. When Robb got a car at sixteen, he'd drop Jon off wherever he wanted. Robb, and their father, were the only people who ever showed Jon any real affection growing up, and yet Jon could never enjoy their love. He resented them too much. Their father had died before Jon could let go of that resentment. He didn't want the same thing to happen with his brother. 

“Robb, I need to talk to you,” Jon tried. 

But Robb shook his head. “You need to talk to my Mom.”

Okay, maybe Robb was not Jon's saving grace after all. 

Robb tugged Jon away from Dany and, with his free hand, took his mother's hand, leading them both to the den opposite the living room. Robb used the den as a home office during the snowy months, and there sat a large desk and a leather sofa between tall bookshelves full of books he's never read. 

“Robb,” Jon protested, but Robb was too strong, and too insistent. He unloaded Jon and Cat in the den, instructed them to _talk,_ then shut them up together behind wooden double doors, the curtains across the glass panes separating them completely from the rest of their family. 

Jon looked warily at his step-mother. He couldn't remember the last time he was alone in a room with her, but somehow his body did. It didn't matter that Cat was older and more fragile now. Jon felt like a skinny boy next to her, a skinny boy who would never defend himself against a woman, let alone his mother. 

Sure, Cat wasn't his birth mother, and she never pretended to be one to Jon. But she was the closest thing to a mother Jon could remember, and because of that, in some tragic way, that made him want to forgive her. It made him want her to love him, even if Jon could never love her. 

Cat released a sigh, finally bringing her eyes to focus on Jon's, and to his surprise, there was a softness in them, something compassionate and human that he had never seen before directed at him. 

He swallowed, bracing for the worst, but he was suddenly, and perhaps foolishly, optimistic. 

* * * * *

Just as Dany expected, Talisa was left to her own devices cleaning up the feast while the others turned on some holiday music and got to chatting about everyday things like all was normal, like their brother wasn't in the next room having a probably very emotional conversation with the woman who abused him for years. Was this what real families were like? Dany was beginning to think herself blessed to come from where she did. It suddenly made so much more sense why Jon had always spoke of his home life with such animosity when they were younger. 

As her mind reeled with thoughts of Jon and how he was doing in that room with that woman, Dany helped clear the dining table of half empty plates and platters, all while trying to ignore the pain in her uterus that just seemed to grow and grow.

“Thank you,” Talisa said sincerely as they both shared the cleaning duties, a look in her eye like it had been a long time since anyone helped her clean anything. 

“Of course. I know what it's like to be overwhelmed.” Dany pulled out her phone and texted Jon. _'Lmk if you need saving.'_ She then took to scraping half-eaten food off of each plate into the garbage can while Talisa filled one side of the sink with hot, soapy water. 

Dany eyed the baby monitor, seeing that the little one looked fast asleep. “What's his name?” she asked.

“Little Ned,” Talisa replied, smiling sweetly at the screen as she tested the water temperature with her fingers. “Named after Robb's father. We found out we were pregnant just six months after he passed.”

“That's beautiful,” Dany said. “My best friend has a three-year-old son. He calls me Deedee. Auntie Dany is still too tricky.”

“That's cute,” Talisa cooed. “Do you want kids?”

Dany looked at the young woman, feeling put on the spot. “I do,” she answered. “Not right away, though. Soon, maybe. I don't know. I guess I haven't thought about it too much.”

“Well, it'll happen when it needs to happen.”

Dany chuckled. “That sounds like something Jon would say.” 

“You two grew up together, right?” Talisa asked before leaving the kitchen long enough to grab the dirty water glasses from the dining table. 

Dany slid the scraped plates into the basin of water, and when Talisa returned, she answered, “Sort of. More like, we grew up next to each other. We didn't really _meet_ until Senior year of high school.”

For five minutes, Dany gave Talisa the readers digest version of the story of how she and Jon met, starting with Mr. Hightower's class and ending with the mediocre pizza shop a mile down the road from Maidenpool. Dany decided not to go into Berkeley territory. That would require divulging certain details about her and Jon's dynamic that she was more comfortable keeping between her and Jon. 

“That's so sweet!” Talisa crooned. “I mean, it's heartbreaking, but it's so sweet. It's beautiful that you both found each other again.”

Dany would have smiled wider had she not been feeling so shitty. Talisa was right. It was heartbreaking and sweet all at once, but Dany's heart had never been stronger than is was now. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. A text from Jon. _'Almost done.'_ Things must have been going well. Or, at least, not terribly. 

Good. As much as Dany felt Cat deserved lifelong misery for her sins, Jon deserved closure.

Dany muttered out an apology to Talisa as she stepped away from the sink and sat at one of the cushioned island stools, suddenly feeling too much at the mercy of gravity. 

“Are you okay?” Talisa eyed her thoughtfully. “You look flush.”

“I'm just having, uh. . .” Dany placed her elbow on the counter and rested her forehead in her hand, “a headache.” That was definitely a lie. The pain originated much lower than her head, though it was rather dizzy. She had thought eating would have helped, but it only granted her a temporary reprieve. Now, it seemed her lightheadedness was returning with a vengeance.

“I could get you some Tylenol.”

“I've been taking Advil all day.”

“And it still hurts?” Talisa looked concerned, and it only made Dany more concerned. _He's almost done,_ Dany told herself. She just had to get through a few more minutes in this house and then Jon would take her home and make her feel better. 

“I'm just going to use the bathroom. I'll be back.” Dany slid off the stool and walked as steadily as she could to the downstairs powder room. She knocked on the white painted door only to receive a curt “In here!” from what sounded like Sansa. 

With a sigh, Dany went back to the kitchen and asked Talisa if there was an upstairs bathroom she could use. 

“Of course.” Talisa gave Dany directions: up the stairs, to the left, last door on the right. “You should peak in on little Ned while you're up there and take a look. Just try not to wake him. I know I'll be up with him all night anyway, but I'd rather get some cleaning done around the house before I have to cart him along with me everywhere.” 

Dany smiled graciously, then went up the stairs, made a left, found the last door on the right, and pushed the door open with some urgency. 

The air caught in her throat as she sucked in a startled gasp, immediately beholding the sight of Robb standing before the bathroom mirror snorting white powder from the back of his hand. Their eyes connected, and Dany squeaked in surprise as Robb jumped. Dany swiftly left, pulling the door shut between them. 

Maybe it wasn't what she thought it was. But Dany knew what she saw, and it put her in a daze. _“I think he's fucked up.”_ But Jon had thought it was just a few stolen drinks from a hidden liquor bottle. Not. . . whatever that was. 

Compelled to pretend nothing had happened, Dany turned to get a peak at the baby – to take refuge in a nursery encased in darkness. As her hand took hold of the doorknob, though, the bathroom door opened, and Robb was confronting Dany with manic eyes. 

“Hey, Dany!” he exclaimed, wearing a Cheshire Cat smile. “Hey, just in case you think you saw something weird in there, that was not. . . I was using a nasal spray. Ya know, for congestion.” He stroked the bridge of his nose. “The high altitude really fucks up my sinuses, ya know. That's – that's all it is. But, if you could do me a favor. . .” Robb got really close to Dany, so close she had to flatten her back against the nursery door. “Don't tell Talisa, alright? It's just that, she worries about me, and I don't want her to think I'm getting sick. Because I'm fine. Just a little congestion, ya know?”

Dany nodded in vigorous agreement. “Of course. And it's none of my business anyway. I was just going to check on the baby for Talisa.”

“Oh. . .” Robb backed off. “That's good. You haven't seen little Ned yet, have you?” 

Dany moved her hand off the doorknob just before Robb took hold of it. He pushed the door open and went inside, the light from the hallway illuminating the small nursery in a beam of yellow light that shown the white crib. Trembling and not trying to whisper, Robb said, “He's got a birthmark on his back that looks identical to my birth mark. That's how I'm sure he's mine.” He snickered. “I'm just kidding. Talisa would never cheat on me. She's an angel. Do you want to see?”

“Talisa?”

He laughed. “No. You've seen her. Do you want to see the birth mark?”

“Oh--”

Robb turned toward the crib, but Dany hurried to him and pulled his shoulder back before he could scoop the baby up. 

“Don't,” she insisted. “Um, your congestion. You might be getting sick, and you don't want to infect little Ned. A sick baby will be hell on Talisa to deal with.”

“Oh. . .” Robb looked around like Dany's explanation was written in invisible letters in front of his face. “Yeah. . . Yeah, you're right. I don't want to get him sick.”

“You should go lie down. I'll tell everyone you went to bed early.”

Robb shook his head. “I'm not tired. And I was gonna show Rickon the new Tesla. Hmm, a drive might be just what I need.” He took long strides out of the nursery. Dany had to run to catch him before he made it all the way to the stairs. She tugged his shoulder again. 

“You can't,” she commanded. “It's too cold outside. It'll only make the infection worse, and then you'll have a full blown cold on your hands. Or the flu. That would be terrible.”

“Shit,” Robb hissed, swaying a bit on his feet as he turned back to Dany. “You're right.”

“You should really just go to bed, Robb,” Dany insisted. “Even if you aren't tired.”

His head bobbed in agreement. “Bed sounds nice actually. These clothes are making me so sweaty.” He tugged on his tie and fumbled off his sweater as he made his way to his bedroom. 

Dany heaved a sigh and turned to the stairs, but before she could descend one step, Robb thunked his head against the door frame while his sweater was caught around his face. Groaning, Dany hurried to him and lead him into the master bedroom, and once Robb was seated on the edge of the bed, Dany helped him to tug his sweater the rest of the way off. 

Indeed, he was sweaty. His shirt was soaked, and moisture began to seep through the pores of his forehead. She wondered if Robb needed an ambulance, but decided she would need to go downstairs and let Talisa make that decision. Also, she just felt very uncomfortable being alone with Robb, someone she hardly knew, especially while he was in the state he was in presently. 

“Okay, I better get back downstairs before Jon comes looking for me.”

Robb took sudden hold of Dany's wrist. “I'm really glad you came, Dany,” Robb said intensely. “You're good for Jon. He's lucky to have someone like you who'll kick everyone's asses for him.”

“Thank you,” Dany said, tugging gently her arm, but Robb wasn't finished. 

“And you shouldn't worry about Val. Jon is totally over her. And you're so much prettier than her anyway. You're like a little fairy. Like. . . Tinkerbell.” He laughed. “You're even wearing green.”

Dany chuckled along with him, but was more concerned than amused. “Thank you.” She tugged again, to no avail. 

“Don't tell Jon I'm sick, okay? Please?”

Dany furrowed her eyebrows at the bulbous drop of blood sliding down the cleft of Robb's upper lip. “Robb. . . you're bleeding.”

Finally, Robb released Dany's wrist and touched the top of his lip with the tips of his fingers, feeling the red blood that drained slowly from his nasal cavity. He pulled his fingers back to examine them. “Shit,” he muttered. 

As soon as Dany was free of Robb's grasp, she tugged her phone from her pocket and quickly texted Jon. _'I need you upstairs. Now.'_

“You're bleeding, too.” Robb's voice brought Dany's attention back to him. 

“What?” she asked incredulously before remembering her own present state, and the reason she had come upstairs in the first place. She looked down, lifting her green sweater dress to see a large patch of red staining her gray leggings. It overtook her inner thigh, reaching almost to her knee. 

She whimpered a cry of shock, fear, and humiliation. 

“Are you dying?” Robb suddenly asked, his own voice full of panic. 

A pressure welling up behind her eyes, Dany turned and ran out of the bedroom, hooking immediately into the upstairs bathroom and slamming the door shut, locking it for good measure. She put her phone on the granite counter and immediately tugged down her leggings and underwear to verify that both were saturated in bright red blood. She sat down on the toilet, peeing on instinct, but most of what came out of her was not pee. She didn't have to look down to know. She could hear the blood clots falling out of her and hitting the water even before she removed her overwhelmed tampon. 

The tears edged from her eyelids, spilling down her cheeks in thick droplets. She curled in on herself, but that only made the pain worse. In a fit of not knowing what else to do, Dany pulled off her boots and pushed off her soiled clothes until she sat sobbing on the toilet in only her dress and socks. 

Jon had gotten her text, but it took him a minute to pull himself away from his step-mom. She'd been crying, and Jon hated it when people cried. It made him uncomfortable and guilty, even when he had nothing to feel guilty about. 

When he got to the top of the stairs, he moved down the hall and caught sight of Robb sitting on the floor of the master bedroom, back against the bed. There was blood on his shirt and face, and his eyes were half-lidded, head lulled to the side. Suddenly panicked, Jon hurried to his brother and dropped to his knees. He scooped up Robb's head to make sure he was actually breathing. “What happened?” Jon asked, and then his mind went to Dany and he grew irate. “What did you do?”

“I din't do 'nything.” Robb muttered, pulling his head away from Jon. 

“Where is she?” Jon demanded. 

“She ran to the bathroom, man. I dunno. She's dyin' or some'n.”

“What is wrong with you?” Jon accused as he stood and backed away from his brother. He hadn't time to deal with Robb now. 

He circled the door frame. Taking hold of the bathroom doorknob and turning it hard to discover the door was locked. He knocked quickly on the painted wood. “Dany?” he asked. 

“Jon!” her voice called back, strangled in a sob. 

“Dany, unlock the door!” He heard fumbling and whimpering, and then the click of the lock turning. Jon pushed the door open and swept Dany into his arms before he could take in her state. “What's wrong?” he urgently asked. 

“Close the door,” Dany cried. 

Jon immediately did so, and only when they were shut up in the small room together did Jon take in the sight of it. The florescent lights painted a worrisome picture. Dany's face was ghostly, her eyes bloodshot from tears. Her legs were naked and a line of blood trickled down the inside to seep into the wool of her sock. On the floor were her boots as well as her leggings and panties, both soaked in enough blood to leave smears on the tile floor. 

In a panic, Jon asked, “What's happening? Dany, what happened?”

“I don't know. I don't know,” she quickly replied, in a panic of her own. “I think I need to go to the hospital.”

“Okay.” Jon snapped into action, pulling a towel from the towel wrack and wrapping it around Dany's waist to cover her legs. “What did Robb do?”

“Nothing,” Dany whimpered. “He was doing drugs. I saw him snorting something, and he was acting crazy. and then his nose started bleeding. Is he okay?”

Jon took a moment to bring his palms to his face and dig his fingertips into his flesh. He cursed under his breath, and in that moment, Jon decided to forego Robb's state and focus on getting Dany out of this house. He pulled open the bathroom door before picking Dany up. 

“I don't want them to see,” Dany whined quietly, pressing her face against Jon's chest as he hurried down the hall. 

“Don't worry,” he told her as he handled the stairs with awkward grace. “Talisa!” he shouted before he reached the landing. “Talisa!”

Everyone's eyes turned to Jon and Dany with bewilderment, and Talisa came running from the kitchen to share in their expression. Jon didn't stop, moving swiftly to the front door while telling her to call an ambulance for Robb. 

Somehow, Jon got his passenger door open, then put Dany into the seat, buckling her up. He ran around to the diver side and, before speeding down the narrow road, started a GPS route to the nearest Emergency Room. Jon's heartbeat thumping heavy, and erratically, in his eardrums did nothing to drown out the sound of Dany's strangled, scared sobs beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. I'm sorry. I hate cliffhangers, too. But this chapter was already about 11k, so I had to cut it somewhere.


	16. Chapter 16

**DECEMBER, 2019**

An hour after leaving the Stark residence, Dany was being seen by an Emergency Room attending at the only hospital in Big Bear. She'd given a urine sample, though the cup was filled mostly with blood, and she also had blood drawn from a vein in her arm. She was placed in a separate room and given a polyester gown and non-bloody socks. She was hooked up to IV fluids and given a shot of morphine that immediately knocked out any and all of Dany's pain until she was telling Jon she actually felt _good_ in slightly slurred speech. 

Jon sat by her side, stroking her hair back. The IV fluids made her cold, even with the hospital blankets the nurses had wrapped around her. Jon had taken off his sweater and draped it over her, tucking it under her chin. 

“I guess we're even now,” Dany whispered, still shivering. “I had to see you in the hospital, and now you have to see me in the hospital. I thought you were going to die, and now I might be dying.”

“You're not dying,” Jon assured. “I won't let anything happen to you. And either way, I think the doctors would be a little more panicked if you were showing signs of death. You're going to be okay. I promise.”

“I got you a Christmas present,” she murmured, smiling softly. 

“I got you some gifts, too.”

“It's hidden under the TV in my living room, in case I don't make it.”

Jon leaned in close and told her to shush before pressing a light kiss to her lips. “You're going to be fine, baby.”

Cool, calm, and collected. Jon was back to his normal self, a rock for Dany in her time of need. She wanted to curl against him and fall asleep in his arms, but the hospital bed was too narrow for two, and the morphine made it difficult to move her body at all. She could still feel the blood, though. It slowed significantly since the incident in Robb and Talisa's upstairs bathroom, but she knew the absorbency pad she was lying on top of was not going to waste. 

A doctor swooped into the room accompanied by a nurse in pink scrubs. The doctor was a tall woman with long hair a deep red, and she wore a white monogrammed coat over plain clothes. She held Dany's file in her hand. “Miss Targaryen,” she said with a chipper smile, not the sort of expression one uses when talking to a dying woman, so Dany could take comfort in that at least. “It's nice to meet you. I'm the on-call obstetrician here. You can just call me Melisandre. Is this your boyfriend?”

Jon stood and shook the woman's hand, giving her his first name. 

“You can call me Dany,” Dany told the doctor in her quiet, drug-induced voice. 

“I will indeed, then, Dany,” said Melisandre. She set Dany's chart down and pulled up a rolling stool, sitting down upon it. Her disposition shifted. Still friendly, but less cheery. “I looked over your chart and your blood work, and I don't want you to be worried. You're going to be fine, Dany.”

“Really?” There was disappointment in Dany's question, not because she didn't want to be fine, but because it would be a real cruel joke for the universe to play on her if all the blood and the pain and the humiliation were for nothing. At least let there be a diagnosis. She'd hate to have to call Talisa up and say “Sorry I left your bathroom a bloody mess. My body is just wack.” Jon had reached under Dany's blankets to find her hand. He held it tightly as the doctor answered.

“Yes, really,” Melisandre assured. “I just want to get that out of the way before I tell you what happened. It's important for you to understand that you are in no medical danger right now. You'll even be able to go home tonight and spend Christmas at home.”

“Okay. . .” Dany breathed, feeling a _but_ coming along. She suddenly didn't like the idea of a diagnosis and cursed herself for ever wanting one. 

“I'm sorry, Dany,” Melissandre began with a sympathetic gaze. “What you have been experiencing is a miscarriage.” 

Maybe it was the morphine, the shock, or both, but the first thing Dany did once the word left the doctor's mouth was laugh. She laughed abruptly, but only for a couple moments until the weight of it all sunk down on her, smothering her in the reality of what that word meant. “That's not possible,” she eventually said, heart rate up. She suddenly wasn't so cold anymore. “I have an IUD.”

“You do, and we are going to have to remove that immediately to prevent an infection. But, it'll be fine. It's a very simple procedure. I'll do it right here. You're boyfriend can stay with you. You won't feel anything. I'll get you a prescription for birth control pills that you can start taking after the bleeding has stopped.”

Dany frowned deeply, confused and sad and strangely relieved that at least she wasn't crazy. At least it wasn't nothing. It was something. Something big and terrible and bewildering, but it was something. 

“About one in one-thousand women get pregnant with an IUD inserted. Unfortunately, IUDs can also cause complications during pregnancy that can result in a miscarriage. That's not to say that your IUD caused your miscarriage. About ten percent of all pregnancies result in a miscarriage. Women who weren't aware they were pregnant sometimes don't even realize they've had a miscarriage because it can often look like a normal, heavy period. But everyone's miscarriage looks different. And it's a good thing you're here, because we really need to remove your IUD, just in case.”

Dany looked down at her chest all bundled in blankets and Jon's coat. Jon. . . she couldn't look at him. How could she not have known she was pregnant? Easy. . . Her periods were never regular to begin with, and what with work stress and Jon-induced happiness, Dany lost track of when her last period was. 

“How far along was I?” she eventually asked. 

“You were definitely in your first trimester. If you'd like my guess based on your samples, about eight weeks, no more than ten.”

Eight weeks. . . That would have been just before Halloween. Ten weeks. . . that would have been around the time they spent that weekend in Venice. Dany couldn't help it. She looked at Jon, and he looked back at her. _What was he thinking?_ she wondered. But she did not have to wonder for long. Jon smiled softly, squeezed her hand, and told her, “Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to help you get through this.”

She blinked heavy, feeling the tears return. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. 

“It isn't your fault,” he assured. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

“He's right,” Melisandre interjected, drawing Dany's solemn expression back to her. “There is no evidence to suggest this was in any way the fault of you or your body. Sometimes, these things just happen. And there is no reason to believe you are incapable of carrying a pregnancy to term in the future, if that is something you want.”

Dany looked to Jon again, as if he too had studied her chart and could give her a second opinion. But he was learning all of this for the first time, too. He, too, was confused, stunned, and disheartened, but the knowing Dany really was going to be okay eclipsed all the negative emotions and put everything into perspective. 

“Everything's going to be okay,” he repeated, soft and earnest, and Dany nodded, seeing no other option but to believe him. 

Melisandre, aided by the nurse who had stood watchfully in the corner during Dany's diagnosis, then went about removing the small birth control device from Dany's cervix. 

Dany struggled not to cry during the procedure. It was fast and, thanks to the morphine, painless. But it was still a humiliating process for her, knees up and legs spread under the harsh hospital lights while Melisandre and the nurse looked intently between her bloodied thighs. There may not have been pain, but Dany still felt the speculum stretch her, and she still felt the flutter of movement inside her as Melisandre pried loose the IUD and brought it out of Dany. Dany already loathed going to her gynecologist, but this was so much more uncomfortable. She hated being looked at by near strangers, even if they were medical professionals, even if they were kind. And to be looked at in her current state. . . She wouldn't even want Jon seeing her like this, and she trusted him more than anyone.

But Jon never tried to look. He leaned forward, pressing kisses to Dany's forehead and stroking away her tears with the pad of his thumb, his other hand still squeezed within Dany's.

When it was all done, Dany rested her legs down, sealing them, and the nurse re-covered them with the blankets.

"I'm going to come back in a bit with that prescription, Dany," said Melisandre before she departed. "I'm also going to bring you some antibiotics I want you to take. Sit tight."

When they were alone, Jon looked deeply into Dany's eyes and murmured, "How do you feel?"

"I don't know," Dany croaked. The tears had stopped as soon as she was tucked back within her blankets. "I think I'm okay."

"Do you feel like you lost something?"

Dany wondered for a few moments. "I don't know. Maybe a little, but. . . I'm not ready to have a baby. Are you?"

"A baby? In my apartment?"

Dany smiled softly. "That's right. You still won't move in with me."

Jon leaned in and lightly touched his lips to Dany's. "I want to have a baby with you one day."

Dany's lip quivered. "Really?"

"Yes. But only when you're ready."

"Jon?" Dany spoke apprehensively. "Maybe it's the drugs, but I think I want to call my mom."

It would be midnight in Florida, but Dany didn't care. Jon gave Dany his phone and she tapped out her mother's cell number, thankful it was easy enough to remember. As soon as Rhaella answered, Dany felt the strangest rush of relief wash over her.

"I'm going to check on Talisa," Jon whispered before pressing a kiss to Dany's head.

She nodded as she greeted her mother with a solemn "Merry Christmas. . . No, I didn't get a new number. I'm using someone else's phone. . . My boyfriend's."

* * * * *

Jon got lost a few times searching for the waiting room Talisa had texted him to come to whenever he was able. He eventually found her sitting with a miserable expression on her face, chewing a hangnail between her teeth. Cat was seated beside her, wearing an equally miserable expression.

As soon as Talisa saw Jon approaching, she looked half-relieved and stood. "There you are."

"How's Robb?" Jon hastily asked, wanting to get back to Dany as soon as possible.

"Whatever he took was laced with something. I can't remember what the doctor said, but he's going to be alright. I haven't gone to see him yet. Bran and Rickon are in there with him now."

"Where's little Ned?"

"Sansa offered to stay at the house and watch him."

"Jon."

Jon turned toward the voice of his sister. He hadn't noticed her seated just behind him. Arya sat up straight and gestured to the seat beside her that was loaded down with coats and Dany's purse. "I brought your stuff," she said. "I figured y'all would be wanting to head straight home from here."

"Thanks," Jon mumbled, still sour with his little sister over their earlier confrontations.

"Her phone was in the bathroom. I put it in her purse," Arya explained. She pointed to a Macy's bag. "Her boots are in there. I tossed the bloody clothes. Figured she wouldn't want those back."

"Yeah."

"Is she going to be okay?" Talisa asked from the other side of Jon.

"She'll be okay."

"What happened?" asked Arya with uncertainty, like she wasn't sure she deserved to ask.

"Um. . ." Jon put his hands on his hips and looked away, trying to decide if the answer was something he had a right to share. "She, uh. . . She had a miscarriage?” It came out like a question, and Jon had no idea why. His family just brought out such an uncertainty in him that whenever he was alone with them, he began to question everything, even the bluntest of realities. “It started this morning, but she didn't know she was pregnant, so. . .”

“Oh my God,” Talisa breathed out her sorrow. 

Jon turned to her and apologized for everything. He'd told Dany never to apologize for anything that wasn't her fault, and yet he felt _someone_ needed to apologize to Talisa. 

“Was it yours?” Arya asked. Jon replied with a miserable glare at her, to which she immediately grew regretful. “I'm sorry. I'm an asshole, okay? I'm really sorry, Jon,” she quickly said. 

“Jon.” Cat was standing now, bringing Jon's wary attention to her. He couldn't handle any passive aggressive insults now. He'd rather she hit him than say anything inappropriate about Dany right now. He was an adult now. He could take it. But she didn't grumble something disapproving, and she only raised her hands to rest upon Jon's arms as she told him, “You shouldn't be out here. You should be with her.”

Jon knew Cat was right, but he was so unused to such a feeling that he couldn't help but question her. “I should check in on Robb,” he said. 

“Robb doesn't need you,” Cat replied.

Maybe she was just trying to get rid of him again, separate him from the Starks once more and push him off into his own orphaned world, but somehow. . . the words released Jon, like she was granting him permission to choose Dany over his own family. 

He decided, this time, not to question her.

* * * * *

Arms loaded down with Dany's things and his own coat, Jon turned into Dany's room, but halted in the open doorway to watch what was happening before him with discomforted amusement.

"You're playing in LA?" Dany asked, still in her blanket burrito and speaking with a tired, morphine-induced innocence. Jon's phone lay face down on her chest as she spoke with a male nurse in maroon scrubs. He leaned against the supply cabinet casually, arms folded like he'd been chatting with Dany for a few minutes now.

"Yeah. Right near Sunset. It's gonna be so dope. You should check it out. I can totally get you free tickets."

"What kind of music is it?" Dany asked.

"We're sort of like an edgier Imagine Dragons. You like Imagine Dragons?"

"No."

"Oh. . ." the nurse frowned. "Well, we're actually not really like Imagine Dragons. More like. . . uh. . ." He lifted a hand to stroke his goatee perfunctorily.

"You know what band is dope?" Dany asked, eyes lighting up. "You know that song? That one that's like--" For the first time in Jon's life, he heard Dany sing. It was a drunk sort of singing, but her smile made it all sound heavenly to Jon's ears. _"Why you gotta be so ruuuuuude? Don't you know I'm human, tooooooo? Why you gotta be so ruuuuuuude? I'm gonna marry her anyway._ You know that song? Is your band like that?"

"Um. . ." The nurse struggled to debase himself for the sake of his agenda. "Yeah, kind of."

"That's cool," Dany giggled softly.

"Totally. Well, if you're interested, you should come see us play." He pulled his iPhone from his scrubs pocket. "You got Instagram?"

"Hey," Jon finally interjected pulling the nurse's attention to him.

"Jon," Dany said with a sleepy smile. "He's in a band."

"Are you her nurse?" Jon asked the man.

Startled into awkwardness, the man replied, "Uh, I just came on shift."

"Did you read her chart?" Jon asked impatiently.

"I did--"

"And you're still hitting on her? You realize I'm her boyfriend, right?"

"Right. Sorry. Um. . ." The nurse pulled a prescription slip out of his breast pocket and outstretched it toward Jon. "This is for her."

Jon dropped his and Dany's things on a chair tucked against the wall and took the scrip. "Unless you have actual nursing to do in here, you need to leave."

The man stammered awkwardly, turning from Jon to Dany, then back to Jon. "I'm just gonna, uh. . . check on, uh, your discharge paperwork."

When the nurse was gone, Dany reached her arm out from under he blankets, grasping for Jon. He quickly took her hand and held it tight. "You liking that morphine, baby?"

She nodded, giggling softly, but with a drunk sort of sadness ever present behind her eyes, telling Jon that no matter how comfortable she felt, she had not lost sight of what brought her to this point. "I've never seen you so jealous."

"I wasn't jealous. That guy is a menace, hitting on patients. They should put fliers up warning people about him."

"There's probably a printer in the lobby."

Jon smiled, leaning down to kiss Dany's chapped lips.

"Is that my purse?" Dany asked, looking toward the bundle of things Jon had plopped on the vacant chair.

"Arya came by with your stuff."

"Oh. Well, I hope you thanked her for me, because I'm not gonna."

Jon chuckled softly. He picked his phone up from Dany's chest and slid it back into his pocket. "What did your mom say?"

Dany let her eyes flutter shut for a few moments. "She told me everything would be fine."

"See?"

"She was just trying to get me off the phone, though," Dany spoke sadly. 

"I'm sorry. Do you want to call Missandei?"

Dany shook her head. "I'll call her later. I don't want to mess up her holidays. She's got more important things going on than to talk to me on the phone while I'm high."

"You're important, Dany," Jon insisted, resting his palm soothingly atop her head. "And you're very strong."

A low groan vibrated her throat. "I'm in a hospital bed, literally leaking blood out of me, and I can barely move my legs. I'm a picture of weakness."

Jon reached behind him and pulled forth the rolling stool, sitting upon it. He clasped Dany's hand in both of his. "You are incredibly strong, Dany. You know what I realized? When you gave that whole speech at dinner, calling my step-mom a cunt. . . You didn't stutter. You didn't look nervous at all."

Dany took a few moments to remember how she had stood in front of Jon's entire family and told them they were lying assholes. It seemed so far away from her now, like it had happened ten years ago. "That's different. I needed to defend you.”

“It's not different. I wasn't really able to appreciate it in the moment, but I'm really proud of you.”

“Jon,” Dany whispered, leaning her head toward him. “I lied.”

“What did you lie about?”

A tear crested her eyelid and slid down her cheek. “I said I didn't like Imagine Dragons, but I do.”

Jon chuckled under his breath. “They're pretty good. I really liked your little rendition of that other song, though.”

She hummed under her breath. “I wanna go home.”

“I'm going to take you home as soon as you're discharged.”

“Oh, I'm dischargin' a lot.”

Jon wrinkled his nose, laughing despite the unsettling imagery. “I'm so sorry today was such a disaster, baby. I should have kept you home. I knew you weren't feeling well, but. . . I just should have realized something wasn't right.”

Dany shook her head. “There's no way you could have known. I didn't even know, and it's my body.”

“I shouldn't have gone back into the house. We should have just left when we were at the car.”

“It's a two hour drive, Jon. I would have just fucked up your car's interior.”

“I don't care about my car.” Jon leaned forward and kissed Dany's cold cheek. 

Once Melisandre returned with Dany's discharge forms and some final instructions on how Dany needed to take it easy until the bleeding subsided, Dany was free to go. Jon helped her out of her hospital gown and back into her dress. He sat on his knees to slide a boot onto each of her feet, then wrapped her coat around her shoulders. 

The male nurse from earlier came back with a wheelchair to bring Dany out to Jon's car, and this time, the man kept his mouth shut. Dany, however, hummed _Why you gotta be so rude?_ the entire trip down to the hospital lobby. 

* * * * *

Dany slept nearly the entire drive home, only waking briefly when Jon stopped at an Arco station to fill up the tank. She asked him to get her a Cherry Sprite. She took three sips before falling back asleep against her bunched up coat tucked against the window.

The next time her eyes blinked open, they were driving through her neighborhood. Jon wound the block looking for a parking space that would be difficult to find so late into the night.

Groggily, Dany asked, "Can we go to your apartment?"

Jon glanced at her. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and placed the other atop Dany's head to stroke down her hair. "Are you sure you don't want to go home?"

"That's home, too," she murmured.

Jon circled back toward his apartment.

Dany was still lead footed from the pain killers, so Jon lifted her into his arms and carried her through the parking garage underneath his building. He kept her in his arms in the elevator and as he moved down the corridor toward his unit. He only set her down so he could unlock and open the door.

"Let's get you to bed," he softly said, arm around her, guiding her through the apartment.

"I have to pee," Dany mumbled, the IV fluids finally catching up to her.

Jon led her into the bathroom, turned on the light, and helped her to sit upon the toilet.

"I can do it," Dany told him, wanting to spare herself any further shame of her present state. The doctor had told Dany the major bleeding was over, but she would still bleed for at least another few days.

"Are you sure?" Of course, Jon wanted to help her, but if she really wanted time to herself, he wouldn't press.

When she nodded, Jon said he would go get their things from the car. "I'll be right back. I promise."

Dany nodded again, and Jon pressed a kiss to her head before leaving her to take care of herself for a short while.

When Jon returned a few minutes later with their coats and Dany's purse, Dany was stepping into a pair of Jon's pajama pants after having put on clean panties lined with a period pad from under Jon's sink -- He really did think of everything. Jon put their things down on a dining chair, then helped Dany take off her dress in favor of a long sleeve tee.

"Look." Dany gestured to the kitchen, pointing toward the time flashing on the microwave. 12:14AM. "It's Christmas."

Jon sighed, walking her to bed. "I'm sorry your Christmas Eve was so miserable, baby. I wish I could go back in time and change it all."

Jon pushed the blankets back and Dany carefully crawled between them and the mattress, settling down upon brand new sheets she prayed Jon wouldn't have to replace come morning. Head on the pillow, she blinked up at Jon and said, "Christmas will be better."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, twisted to face Dany, Jon caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Not if you're in pain."

"I'll be okay," she whispered. "I have you to take care of me."

Jon's lips sealed tightly together, and his eyelids twitched as tears prickled up from his eyes. He knew the miscarriage wasn't his fault. But as he looked upon Dany in the dim light of his apartment, it finally sunk in that, for two months or so, Dany had been pregnant, and Jon hadn't known. No matter how much he controlled himself, no matter how much he controlled Dany and their relationship, there were still factors in this world that he would never be able to control. He could not control chance -- the unlikely chance that he would fertilize Dany while her implant was supposedly protecting her against such an outcome. He could not control biology -- the natural process by which an embryo becomes non-viable. He could not control the randomness of the universe – why now, and why Dany? That was the hardest part of this whole ordeal for Jon, having to accept that no matter what he did, Dany would never be truly safe from suffering. Neither of them would.

"I'm going to do my best," Jon softly promised. 

Dany's eyes fluttered shut. “Sleep with me.”

Not needing to be told twice, Jon shucked his clothes off and switched on a space heater to keep them warm through the night before slipping into bed beside Dany. He turned onto his side and nuzzled his nose behind her ear. Dany rested like she was already fast asleep, but her fingers soon found Jon' wrist and brought his hand to her belly. She guided his hand underneath the waistband of the flannel pants she wore until his palm rested flat upon her abdomen, emitting just enough warmth and pressure to make Dany feel like she was heeling rather than crumbling. 

“I love you, Dany,” Jon whispered softly against her hair before pressing a kiss just there. 

Dany's response was a quiet, sleepy hum that Jon took to mean, “I love you, too.”

* * * * *

Dany stirred awake at ten o'clock that Christmas morning to the scent of coffee and bacon enchanting her senses, but the first thing she saw when she blinked her eyes open was the plastic hospital bracelet still snapped around her left wrist, reminded her of all that transpired yesterday. She groaned, shut her eyes, and sleepily reached her hand down to feel for any wetness on her bottom or the sheets. All felt dry, but her panic did not subside. Not until her ears filled with the low, comforting register of her boyfriend's voice.

“You up, Daisy?” asked Jon from the kitchen. 

“Yeah,” Dany croaked as she pulled herself up to sit. The morphine had worn off, but the cramps in her uterus had depleted to a dull ache, and she counted herself lucky. When Dany opened her eyes back up and looked around the room, her jaw went slack. _Am I still asleep?_ “Jon, what happened?” she asked, in awe of the apartment. 

When just before Dany went to sleep, the space looked the same as it always did, now it looked like. . . Christmas. A tall tree stood in the corner, decorated with dancing lights, shiny ornaments, and golden tinsel. Garland galore trimmed the walls, and lantern lights that looked like snowflakes dangled from the ceiling. Even draped over Dany was now a red sheep wool blanket imprinted with red-nosed reindeer. 

“Merry Christmas!” Jon exclaimed, rounding the kitchen peninsula to set two plates of eggs and bacon on the dining table now featuring cloth placemats with Santas on them. He returned to the kitchen and poured hot water from the stove kettle into a mug of hot chocolate, then placed it beside Dany's plate. He retrieved his coffee next and sat it beside his own. “Hungry? I made French Toast and _lots_ of bacon.”

Dany took a few moments to process the fact that she just woke up in the North Pole. Meanwhile, Jon picked up a brown furry headband with pointed reindeer ears and went to her, tucking the headband behind her ears. “There,” he said with a smile, grazing the tip of his finger across the tip of her nose. “My little reindeer girl.”

Dany smiled, so perplexed, and giddy, and slightly concerned. “When did you do all of this? Is that a real tree?”

“Very early this morning while you were asleep,” Jon answered. “And no, it's definitely not real. It's plastic and from Walmart. In fact, everything is from Walmart. Happy capitalism day!”

A chuckle turned to a frown. Dany asked, “You didn't leave me, did you?”

“No,” Jon quickly said, grazing the pad of his thumb across the corner of Dany's eye to clear out the crusties. “Well, for a few minutes at least, just to grab everything from--”

“Is this because of what happened yesterday? Because--”

“It's because you deserve to have a great Christmas,” Jon insisted. “And because I love you. I'd been planning this for a while, Dany. I've had all this shit in the trunk of my car since last week.”

Dany's smile returned, losing much of the sadness. “If I'm your little reindeer girl. Who are you?”

“Oh.” Jon hopped up and ran into the kitchen, returning swiftly and slipping a red hat onto his head, embellished with a white fuzzy band at the hem and a white poof ball hanging down the side of Jon's head from the pointed top. “I'm Santa.”

Dany laughed and took Jon's hand. He helped her to slowly slide from bed, and Dany immediately turned to inspect the sheets. No blood. She let out a sigh of relief.

“I should go to the bathroom,” she said as Jon led her to the dining table, topped with a large Christmas snow globe. She stopped walking to ask, “Can I go alone?”

“Yes,” Jon immediately replied, pressing about a dozen kisses to Dany's forehead before telling her he'd go fix her plate.

Dany shook her head at his behavior. Twelve kisses just for waking up? Even for Jon, who loved to dole out reward kisses, that was a lot. But tears of gratitude glossed her eyes as she continued cautiously into the bathroom. 

It was always colder in the bathroom than the rest of the apartment which was why there was always a space heater shoved in the corner, ready to warm the space. Dany turned it on high before sitting down to pee. But had she just been peeing, she would have happily let Jon join her. Dany's main reason for seeking refuge in the bathroom this morning was to check herself for blood. Maybe the sheets were dry, and her pajama pants were dry, but there was still a foreboding within Dany that told her if she didn't check herself frequently, she would exsanguinate before she even got to give Jon his Christmas gift. 

She let out a sorrowful groan, but not from the blood that drained in slow dribbles into the water below. She'd forgotten all about Jon's gift in the aftermath of the hospital. She should have had Jon pull the car over last night so she could run up and get-- 

_Run up? I could barely walk last night._

It took a lot of tissue and a couple baby wipes to clean herself up, but after a few minutes, Dany emerged from the bathroom to see Jon was already at the table. He put his phone away as soon as the bathroom door opened, and he smiled at Dany like she was a bride walking down the isle. But Dany's face was eclipse with a deep frown and a furrowed brow. 

“I don't have your gift here,” she whined, walking slowly to the table and sitting down before a place setting stacked high with syrup-slathered french toast and crispy strips of bacon. “This looks amazing.”

“Don't worry about giving me anything. I got you enough gifts for the both of us,” Jon replied, scooting his chair closer to Dany's. 

Suspiciously, Dany turned and looked at the base of the Christmas tree. Her heart dropped to her feet only to bounce right up and fill her chest with warmth. Tucked between the red velvet tree skirt and the bottom most branches of the fake tree, were a collection of gifts all wrapped up in Christmas boxes and bags. 

_Real presents._ Not just a check from her parents and tickets to Rihanna with Missandei, as nice as those were to receive. Dany had always longed to tear into shiny wrapping paper and dive into festive bags. She didn't want envelopes and Venmo notifications. She wanted real tangible gifts, items that she could wear or look at and always remember that someone she cared for thought of her while wandering through a department store or farmer's market. 

“Those are all for me?” Dany gasped, turning back to Jon with wide eyes. 

His head bobbed excitedly. “But first. . . I hope you're hungry.”

“Starving,” she whined. 

Jon picked up his fork, but moved it to Dany's plate instead, carving out a nice chunk of eggy toast and lifting it to Dany's mouth. She leaned forward and captured the bite between her teeth before the syrup could dribble onto her chin. The warm gooey goodness elicited a pleasured moan from Dany's throat as she chewed the sugary bite. 

“Good?” Jon asked, to which Dany nodded earnestly. Jon then took a heaping bite off his own plate. 

“We need to go get your gift,” Dany insisted after swallowing. 

“We'll go later,” Jon assured. 

“Also. . .” her voice lowered, “I lied to you at the hospital.”

“So you _don't_ like Imagine Dragons?”

She chuckled quietly before her expression sobered. “I didn't tell my mom what happened.”

Jon put down his fork and slid his hand into Dany, squeezing gently and running his thumb across the silver around her finger. “You don't have to tell anyone unless you want to.”

“She just. . . She just sounded like she didn't want to talk to me. Like she was trying to speed the conversation to a conclusion as soon as she answered the phone. I don't even know why I wanted to call her. I don't know why I thought that, for once in my life, she would have something wise and compassionate to say to me.”

Jon was silent for almost a minute, just holding Dany's hand and watching her sorrowful face. “You should call Missandei.”

Her head shook. “I will, but. . . tomorrow. She and Grey have this whole Christmas day routine, and I don't want to fuck it up.” 

“Are you ashamed?”

Dany inhaled a slow breath, really mulling the question over. “No. Not ashamed. I just. . . I feel. . . like a mess.”

“You're not a mess,” Jon softly insisted. “You are an extremely intelligent, very successful, very beautiful, very strong woman who never ceases to impress me. I mean, you're a fucking warrior, Dany. The fact that you're smiling right now proves that.”

Indeed, Dany was smiling, but she thought it had less to do with strength and more to do with Jon's wonderfulness. As cheesy as Dany always found the phrase, Jon really was her strength. 

Quietly, Dany asked, “Can I still be strong if I want you to feed me?”

The corner of Jon's mouth hooked upward. “Of course. How else are you going to preserve all that strength?” 

* * * * *

After breakfast, Dany let herself shower with Jon despite feeling incredibly unsexy. For the first time in forever, Dany's sexual desire was at a zero, but Jon was only interested in washing her and hugging her tightly under the spray of the warm water. He would always find her body sexy no matter what, but Jon could not possibly become aroused while Dany was feeling so ill. 

Afterward, Jon dried her off quickly and put her in clean comfy clothes with a fresh pad in her underwear. After brushing and braiding Dany's damp hair, and sliding her reindeer headband back upon her head, Jon helped her to sit on the floor beside the Christmas tree. 

“Are you ready to open?” asked Jon, sitting down in front of her with his legs folded before him. 

“I can't believe you got me so many,” Dany mused as Jon's phone vibrated on the rug beside him. “Have you heard from your family?”

Glancing at his phone, but making no reach for it, Jon replied, "Bran's been texting me. Arya said Merry Christmas with a slanty face emoticon, and Talisa has been asking if you're okay."

"I'm okay," Dany said with a small, semi-forced smile. “Oh. I never asked you how Robb was.”

Dany knew the sigh Jon gave meant _Not good,_ but Jon was a careful optimist. “He's okay. Talisa's looking into facilities for him to get some help.”

“That's good,” Dany murmured sympathetically. 

"Let's open some presents!" Jon suggested, gaining a more chipper countenance. He pulled a box from under the tree and slid it into Dany's lap. "Looks like this one is from Santa!"

Dany giggled softly, eyeing Jon comically in his red Santa hat. The box was a large square, wider than it was tall, wrapped in silver paper and topped with a big red bow. Dany tore into it slowly, wanting to savor the feeling. The paper revealed a plain black box. Dany rested it in her lap and removed the top. Nestled in the thin tissue paper was a brown leather accordion briefcase with a silver clasp. 

“Oh my God,” Dany breathed, picking up the bag with both hands and examining it with a look of wonderment. “Jon. . . this is too much.”

“Do you like it?” he asked hopefully. 

“I love it.”

“Then it's not too much. It's just right.”

She pouted despite her excitement. “You're going to turn me into a spoiled brat.”

“Sounds hot.” Jon leaned forward on his knees and kissed Dany softly. 

“You better not have spent a bunch on the other gifts.”

“Actually. . .” Jon said, sitting back on his butt and leaning back against the front side of his worn leather sofa, “the thing is, I bought these gifts weeks ago, and in light of recent events, let's just say you might not be up for opening most of them. But, we can save them for when you're feeling a little better, and it'll be like second-Christmas later.”

Dany's eyebrows rose, catching Jon's drift. “Jon, what happened yesterday. . . it was scary and shitty, but I'm not broken. Am I in the mood to have sex right now? No. I'm not even allowed to even if I was, but you can still bring it up. We can still broach the topic without me freaking out. Sex didn't put me in the hospital, that faulty fucking IUD did. I don't feel differently about you, or us, because of what happened. And I don't want a second-Christmas. I want this Christmas.” She smiled warmly, removed the box from her lap, and made grabby hands toward Jon, quickly demanding, “Now, let me open my presents.”

Jon lifted a small smirk. “Don't beg me, Daisy. Punishments might be on hold for a little while, but Santa's making his list, and he'll be checking it twice.”

With a small giggle, Dany accepted her next gift from Santa and ripped into it. She rolled her eyes at the contents of the box, but smiled all the same. “I see.” She lifted up one of the five pairs of sheer thongs that rested upon a blanket of tissue paper. “This is more of a gift for you, huh?”

“You don't like it?”

Cheeks blushing pink, Dany replied, “I love it.”

Jon passed her a third gift, and as soon as Dany had everything opened, her eyes went wide with excitement, but then she was simply confused. She held up the brand new rechargeable vibrator. “You got someone who isn't allowed to masturbate a vibrator?” 

Jon smiled bashfully. “You can still masturbate. As long as I tell you you can.”

“Thank you, honey.”

Jon picked up another gift and handed it to Dany. Gifts galore! And while many of them were sex related, like the nipple clamps, the Velcro wrist and ankle bed-restraints, and the silk blindfolds, some were not. Jon had also gotten Dany new leggings, a thick nit beanie hat, a case for her phone, and a new bottle of her favorite perfume. Dany was overwhelmed by it all, but loved every moment of her gift-opening experience. 

When the floor around them was covered in torn wrapping paper, discarded gift bags, and crinkled tissue paper, Jon said, “I have one more gift for you, but it's not something you can unwrap. I have to just tell you what it is.”

“What is it?” Dany asked, hoping it wasn't something too extravagant. 

“After New Years, I'm going to talk to my landlord and get out of my lease.”

Dany furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding the significance of that until it struck her suddenly a few moments later. “You're moving?”

“Well. . . this girl said she wanted me to move in with her, and she's really hot, so I was thinking I'd give the roommate thing a go.”

“Roommate?” Dany asked with a smirk. She awkwardly maneuvered onto her knees and crawled into Jon's lap. “Is that what I'll be?”

Jon wrapped an arm around her back and the other around her knees. “Until I successfully seduce you.”

“I have a feeling I'll be pretty easy to seduce.” She tucked her head against his chest. “I wish I had your gift here,” she whispered with a slight pout. 

“I have an idea,” Jon said. “Let's take a drive and do some sight seeing from the car. After, we can swing by your apartment and get the gift.”

“That sounds nice,” Dany whispered as Jon gently rocked her in his arms. 

* * * * *

The sun was already down when they got to Dany's complex after their drive and a trip to Cold Stone Creamery. The fact that there were still ice cream shops open on Christmas was just a blessing on top of more blessings for Dany on this day, in the wake of such a miserable night. Jon had made everything so magical for her, but the ever present ache in her belly always seemed to bring her down just as Jon brought her to the peak of happiness. 

“I'm having second thoughts,” she admitted warily as they went into her apartment. Jon flicked on the kitchen lights so he could see well enough to flick on the living room lights. 

“About what? My present?”

“I don't think you'll like it.”

“Aww. I'm sure I'll love it. Please tell me you made me a macaroni necklace. Oh! Or a ceramic ash tray.”

Dany scrunched her face and poked Jon in the belly, making him flinch. “I might be your baby girl, but I am not a baby.”

Jon laughed and kissed her. “Gimme my present.”

“Fine.” She moved carefully to the cabinet under the TV and pulled it open. “I didn't wrap it, though.”

“That's fine.”

In a quick motion, Dany grabbed the box she had hidden and swooped it behind her back before Jon could catch sight of it. She walked back to him, apprehensively. 

“Come on. It can't be that bad,” Jon said. 

“I'm just not good at getting gifts for people. I can only seem to do well if it's a little child, like Nathan. If you were three, this would have been way easier.”

“Baby, if I was three, that would make things way more complicated.”

Dany sighed like she had been defeated in battle and brought the box out from behind her back, holding it out in one hand. It was small and square, lined with black faux-leather and the word CHANEL embossed in silver letters on the top. 

A rush of nerves came over Jon as he took the box from Dany's hand. He was nervous to open it. It couldn't have been what his mind was telling him it was, could it? He pried open the top to find that, nestled in plush silk, was a bland in white gold, circled with a row of black diamonds. Jon blinked heavily, taking in the sight with unease. “Dany. . .” he breathed. 

“You don't like it,” Dany quickly stated, taking the box from his hand and snapping the lid shut. “I have the receipt. I'll return it. It's fine.” She turned away from him in embarrassment. 

“Dany.” He took her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I like it. I'm just confused.”

“Why?” she timidly asked. 

“It's a wedding band.”

Dany laughed nervously, an attempt to play things cool, but Dany was never good at playing things cool. “Not if it's not on the wedding ring finger.”

“It's from Chanel. It's white gold. It's got like fifteen diamonds on it.”

Yes. Fifteen. Because Dany was fifteen when she fell in love with him. Dany hadn't intended it to be a wedding ring, but Jon was right in that, no matter which finger he put it on, it was still a wedding band, purchased from the men's engagement band section of the Chanel retail website. 

“How much was this?” Jon asked. 

“Not much,” Dany replied quickly. “Only like twelve-hundred.”

Jon released a sigh, which Dany took to mean she had done something wrong.

“I'll take it back,” she insisted. “I knew I should have gotten you a fucking watch.”

“Dany.” He reached down to her hands and took the box back into his own, flipping the lid up to look over the ring once more. “Did you buy this ring because you want me to marry you, or because you just like it and want me to wear it?”

Dany's throat was completely dry. “I just. . . You got me a ring, and I wear it everyday, because it makes me feel like I'm yours. I just thought maybe you could wear something that makes you feel like you're mine, that you'll always be enough for me, and that you'll never have to worry that I'm going to hurt you the way your ex did. And I thought it would look hot on you.”

The corners of Jon's mouth raised slowly. “I like that.”

“Really?”

Jon held out the ring box. “Put it on me.”

A glimmer in her eye, Dany plucked the ring from the box and set the box on the table beside them. Jon held out his hands, both of them, palms down, fingers splayed. Dany picked the same finger that Jon had in that club on Dany's twenty-first birthday. Middle-left. But the ring stuck on Jon's second knuckle. Too small. Dany blushed and slid the ring off, sliding it instead onto Jon's ring finger. Perfect fit. 

Jon simply smiled and took Dany's left hand into his. He slid her silver ring off her middle finger and slid it instead onto her ring finger. A little loose, but it would do for now. “I'll have to get you a nicer one,” he said. 

Dany shook her head, looking up at Jon all bright and shiny and beautiful. “I like this one.”

“It was twenty bucks at a farmer's market. I'm surprised it hasn't turned your finger green,” Jon retorted.

Dany wrapped her fingers in Jon's shirt and pulled him down to meet her lips. “I like this one,” she repeated before kissing him tenderly. 

Jon pulled her tight and deepened the kiss. His heart pounded in his chest. He was still on edge. Wearing this ring certainly didn't make Jon her husband by any legal standards, but somehow the band felt heavier than his old golden ring that sat in a shoe box full of old paperwork somewhere in his closet. More meaningful. More special. Maybe it was more meaningful and more special because Jon wasn't her husband. The ring didn't mean that Jon was legally bound to Dany, or that they had spoken their vows in front of witnesses and signed the right documents. It meant that Jon's heart and body belonged to Dany, and that he was willing to show that devotion to the world through a ring upon his finger despite there being nothing contractually binding between them. 

Jon broke the kiss to promise, “I'll always be yours, Dany.”

Smiling wide, Dany promised the same. “Whether Dany or Daisy. I'll always be yours, too.” They kissed some more until Dany said, “I know this is going to be our home soon, but can we go back to the North Pole for the rest of the day?”

Chuckling, Jon nodded. “Come on little reindeer. We've got lots of Christmas comedies to watch, and lots of cuddling to do.”

* * * * *

The following morning, Dany called Missandei. 

Jon took Dany to her own apartment, helped her into her own clothes, and kissed her goodbye once Missandei arrived for some quality time alone with her best friend. 

Without Jon, all the negative feelings clambered to the forefront of Dany's emotions, but that turned out to be a good thing. She told Missandei the whole story and cried. Maybe she wasn't ashamed, but she was traumatized all the same. She'd never be able to look at any of the Starks ever again. She'd never be able to just hope for the best during a heavy period ever again. She'd never be able to have another IUD, the piece of shit, but she was paranoid that she would forget to take the birth control pills every day and something like this would happen again.

“Something like what?” Missandei gently asked as they sat on the living room sofa together. “Are you afraid of getting pregnant again, or just of having another miscarriage?” 

“Both,” Dany answered. “I know that if I were to get pregnant again, Jon would know what to do. Even if he says he's not ready, he would figure it out. But having a baby is different. I need to know what to do, too.”

Gripping Dany's hands in her own, Missandei said, “Well I will text you every single morning reminding you to take your pills if you need me to, and I will personally see to it that Jon puts a condom on every time-- Wait. . . no, that sounds gross--”

Dany snickered. 

“You know what I mean, though!” Missandei laughed. “No one named Daenerys Targaryen is getting pregnant on my watch. But, honestly. . . if something were to happen accidentally. . . I think you would figure it out, too. Shit, you think I was trying to get pregnant at twenty-two? I didn't know anything, and Grey knew even less. If it looked like we had everything figured out from day one, it's because we're just really good at faking it.”

Faking it. . . Jon would call that _trusting yourself._

Dany smiled, thinking she might be able to do that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to post this earlier, but my internet was down all day! Also, I upped the chapter total to 20 (which I kind of thought would happen -- and 20 is a much rounder number anyway). But this is the final total. No more changes, I promise (:

**JANUARY, 2020**

Jon cracked his knuckles as he read over all the notes Dany had left on his brief. A day ago, she had been timid about giving back Jon's work and asking him to redo it to her liking. She still found the workplace power dynamic shift awkward, but Jon assured her once again that he was totally fine with her being the boss at work and his baby girl at home. However, Jon did not anticipate Dany's red notations would have a higher word count than the brief itself. This would take him all morning, and he would probably have to work on it some more tonight after getting home from the courthouse.

There was a tap at Jon's open office door. Theon poked his head in. "Dany not in today?"

"She's got a personal thing," Jon answered casually. "She'll be in this afternoon."

"Alright," Theon replied begrudgingly before ducking out.

Jon looked at the time. Only 9:30AM. Time was ticking by too slowly. He wouldn't be able to slip out til noon. His cock was in a permanent state of semi-erect, thinking about what was awaiting him at Dany's apartment. At _home._ Soon to be, at least. He'd moved half of his stuff in already. The rest he would probably get rid of. He still slept at his apartment on nights Dany needed to work especially late, but his landlord already put a For Rent sign outside the building.

When his cell buzzed with an unfamiliar number, Jon was too caught up between work and his lust to think twice about answering. The voice on the other end of the phone immediately drained his motivation and wilted his erection. 

“How are things?” Cat asked, like this wasn't the first time she had called Jon since his father died.

_How are things?_ “Um, they're fine,” Jon awkwardly replied. “How are things with you?”

Rather than answer in equally awkward fashion, Cat got to the point of her call. “Robb asked me to get ahold of you. He's been hoping you would see him. I told him you'd probably have your hands full.”

_Hands full with what?_ Jon couldn't help but frown, but decided that was as good an excuse as any he could come up with off the top of his head. “Yeah, I've had a lot going on.”

“Well, he asked me to call you and ask if you'd pay him a visit. But, of course, if you're too busy, I can tell him that.”

Jon tried not to let the irritation seep through his sigh. He didn't want to see Robb. Not after what happened Christmas Eve. Not after the shit he pulled. But he wanted to prove Cat right even less. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of Jon pulling away from his family. _His_ family. They might be Cat's children, and they might all be fucked up in their own ways, but they were still Jon's family. 

“When can he have visitors?” Jon asked. 

As difficult as it was to concentrate after such a phone call, Jon managed to get a good amount of work done, and when noon rolled around, he was zipping out of the office like it was on fire, ready to put thoughts of his brother out of his mind for an hour or two.

* * * * *

They had planned this out for days. Just the thought of it made Dany wet, but now it was really happening. 

It had been a month since Christmas Eve and three weeks since the bleeding stopped and Dany begun taking her prescribed birth control pills, but she and Jon had yet to have penetrative sex since before the miscarriage. That isn't to say that Dany's appetite had not returned. Since just after going on the pill, Jon had been making her come almost every night, but most of the time, it was with his hand tucked inside her panties after lights out, rubbing her clit until Dany melted into the mattress and fell quickly asleep. Jon went down on her a week ago, and it felt like the first time all over again. She'd begun to crave his cock again, and when Jon told her he thought she was soon ready for him again, Dany excitedly asked if they could make it special. 

“Special?” he had asked with a small smirk. “Don't I always make it special? Alright, Daisy. What do you have in mind?”

This morning, Jon had woken Dany up before he left for work. In a half-sleep state, Dany let Jon undress her completely and help her to pee and brush her teeth. Jon then took her back to bed, inserted a small, heavily lubed butt plug into her anal passage, fasten her wrists and ankles to the bed with Velcro straps, and secured a satin blindfold across her eyes. Jon kissed her lips softly, told her he loved her and that he would be back in five hours.

Though naked, splayed in an X shape, and horny from the plug that filled her ass, Dany drifted back to sleep easily after Jon had left the apartment. She awoke a few hours later not knowing what time it was, only that she felt sunlight from the window on her skin, warming it enough that she wouldn't shiver. With nothing to do, see or hear, Dany wiggled her butt against that mattress to try and shift the pressure enough to pleasure herself like a naughty girl. It hardly made a difference though. She was wet and in need of Jon. Even if she was allowed to masturbate, she could barely move an inch in the restraints.

She had no idea how long she lied there, entertaining herself with wild sexual daydreams, but eventually she heard the front door open.

Jon walked into the apartment, set his things on a dining chair and sauntered slowly into the bedroom, making sure to not make any sudden movements. The first thing he saw was also the last thing he saw when he left the bedroom this morning. Dany. Naked, splayed, blindfolded, and visibly aroused. Her toes curled.

Jon's cock jumped. "Look what we have here.” His voice was low, and seductive, and covered Dany's flesh with goosebumps. The tip of his finger touched Dany's ankle and slowly skated up the length of her leg as he walked around the bed. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Daisy," Dany quietly squeaked.

"Daisy," Jon slowly said, like he'd never spoken the syllables before. His voice filled the air around Dany with electricity, tantalizing her flesh, tightening her nipples, and increasing her heart rate. "Who left you here like this, Daisy?"

Dany wet her lips, trying to taste the electricity. "I don't know his name. But he tied me up."

The bed dipped where Jon sat upon the side of it, twisted to gaze upon Dany's blindfolded face and supple torso. He grazed his fingers down the center of her chest. It lifted in response, longing for a firmer touch.

"Who were you left here for?" 

Dany gulped as the pads of Jon's fingers met the underswell of her naked breast. "Jon," she breathed.

"Jon? That's my name," Jon stated. "Are you saying you're here waiting for me?"

Dany nodded, toes flexing with anticipation.

“What am I supposed to do with you, Daisy?”

“I don't know,” she breathed, her voice a barely-there whisper. 

“You don't know?”

“I think. . .” She gulped. “I think you're supposed to have sex with me.”

Jon inhaled slowly, steadying himself enough to ignore how painfully erect he was becoming. _Control._

"I don't know, Daisy," Jon said, his finger tips grazing a blush areola on their way back up her chest. "You see, I have a partner. Her name is Dany." His fingers reached her collar bone, continuing up her throat and to her jaw. "And she is the most incredible woman I've ever met. She's extremely intelligent. I get hard watching her answer all the Jeopardy questions--”

Dany smiled softly.

“And she's very confident, even though it sometimes takes a bit of work to bring it out of her. She is fiercely loyal. I trust her with my life. She's got the cutest giggle anyone could hear. Her orgasms are fucking breathtaking. And she is gorgeous. We're talking, a drop dead hottie. Thick blonde hair, big blue eyes, milky soft skin” --Jon slowly swiped his thumb across her bottom lip-- “full lips, and the yummiest little pussy I've ever tasted--”

Dany swallowed. 

“You know what, though. . .” Jon moved his thumb under her chin and leaned down until Dany felt his breath against her lips, “you look a lot like her.”

Dany lifted her head to catch Jon's mouth, but Jon leaned back before their lips could touch. He stood from the bed, dragging the tip of his fingers back down the length of her body, down her side, her hip, and her leg. He toed off his shoes slowly, then climbed onto the bed, caging her beneath his body. 

“Tell me, Daisy,” Jon spoke, and Dany could hear the devilish stare in his voice, “Are you a good girl?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

“Because, I only fuck good girls.”

“I'm good. I promise.”

The air shifted around Dany, and she felt Jon's breath against her ear. Her whole body shivered from the sensation as he said, “Are you a virgin?”

“Yes,” she whimpered, wiggling her butt against the mattress. 

Jon's eyebrow rose, as did the corner of his mouth, delighted by the unexpected response. “I'm going to have to be gentle with you then.”

Dany nodded quickly. She felt the air move again, and then Jon's breath on the side of her neck, pressing gently his lips to her flesh. A chaste kiss. A subtle kiss. And when his lips parted from her, her skin tingled where a little mark of saliva stained her. He kissed her collar bone next, then a couple inches lower on her chest, and lower after that until his lips pressed delicately to her areola. So wrapped up in these smallest of sensations, Dany could hear Jon's lips part when they were hovered just above her nipple, just before the tip of his tongue caressed the hardened nub in feather-light strokes. She parted her own lips and exhaled a pleasured sigh. 

When Jon lingered on her nipple, breathing hotly and licking gently, Dany's thighs tensed, longing so badly to rub them together so that she might feel the least bit of friction against her pussy. Her anal walls pulsed around the plug fit so snugly inside of her. So enraptured by Jon's teasing of her nipple, Dany hadn't realized he moved his hand down until she felt a warm finger touch her swollen clitoris. 

She gasped, legs tugging against the restraints in a jolt of surprise pleasure. Jon quickly removed his hand after only a minuscule offering. 

“My, my, my.” Jon sat up slowly so that he could look down at Dany's pussy. “Wow,” he breathed, grazing his thumb along the fleshy ridge of her outer lips. “You are glistening, Daisy. I can smell your pussy from here it's so wet.” His fingers trailed down to where the flat base of the butt plug rested over her anus. “What is this?” he asked with lustful surprise. “No wonder you're so anxious to come.”

Dany whimpered in response, and she felt Jon leave the bed, but he did not leave the room. She listened, and she heard the sounds of him undressing from his work clothes. She heard each article of clothing drop to the floor. She heard the subtle snap of a waistband as Jon removed his boxer briefs. She was anxious indeed. So anxious to feel Jon inside of her and to feel him fuck the pent up lust right out of her, over and over and over again. 

But when the bed shifted again, it was not between her spread legs. The mattress dipped just to her right, then again just to her left. Jon's knees were pressed under her arms. Dany felt something touch her lips, but it wasn't Jon's thumb. 

“Open,” he softly commanded. 

As soon as Dany parted her lips and teeth, Jon pressed his cock inside her mouth, gliding it along the bed of Dany's tongue. Jon moved his hips, fucking her mouth with just a few thick inches. “God, your mouth is so hot,” Jon whispered. “That's it, baby. Make me all wet.”

Dany hummed around his cock, tasting his salty pre-come on her tongue and swallowing it down. Jon slid his cock from the depths of Dany's mouth, took hold of the base with one hand and traced the leaking tip along Dany's top lip. 

“Do you like the way I taste?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Dany breathed before darting out her tongue to massage the small cluster of nerves underneath his cockhead. 

“Fuck,” Jon grunted, pulling away from Dany's mouth and body. He planted his hands on either side of Dany's head and shimmied his body down until his legs with between hers. Lowering to his elbow, Jon rested his body gingerly atop Dany's, his cock aimed perfectly between her thighs. “Are you ready to feel a man inside you?” he asked. 

Dany nodded with a lustful shudder through moist, parted lips. 

Jon moved a hand down between them and gripped his cock, guiding it to Dany's pussy. He stroked the head languidly along her slick labia before pressing against her small opening. “Deep breaths, Daisy,” he whispered lowly. “I'm going to make you mine. No one else will ever touch you.”

Dany moaned, running her tongue across her lips. She tried to move her hips up, to suck Jon's cock inside her, but the ankle restraints kept her legs taut and her butt on the mattress. 

Jon pushed forth, slowly sinking through Dany's channel, so wet yet so snug around his cock. Dany groaned low from the added pressure filling her up. 

When fitted half way inside her, Jon leaned close to her ear and growled, “And I'm going to come inside you so you never forget who you belong to.”

Dany's limbs were already trembling when Jon began to fuck her. Slow, rhythmic motions. Shallow and careful, massaging his cockhead against her inner walls.

As Dany's limbs spasmed, they tugged at the restraints. She tried to push her hips up to meet Jon's motions but the straps wouldn't allow it. She was completely at his mercy, more so than ever before. In just one minute, all the muscles in her lower body tightened as a wave of euphoria washed over her. Jon never ceased his movements. He brought his mouth to her ear and caressed the lobe between his tongue and upper lip as Dany moaned and quivered through a soft, but drawn out orgasm that lasted nearly two minutes and left Dany choking for air as she forgot to breathe at one point. 

Jon let himself slip from her tight hold as he sat up on his knees. He twisted to lengthen the leash around Dany's right ankle then the left to allow Jon to manipulate her legs better for the second round. Hand pressing Dany's thighs up and apart, Jon scooted forward until his knees were on either side of Dany's waist and his cock lied across her pubis. 

“Fuck, you got my cock all wet, baby,” Jon muttered lustfully through a tight jaw as he gyrated the length of his cock against Dany's clit. 

He let go of one thigh to let it fall around his hip, and he gripped gently her soft breast. He circled the pad of his finger around her nipple until it hardened. 

“Take a deep breath,” Jon hotly instructed, and just as Dany began to suck in a slow inhale, Jon shifted his hips and drove his cock back through her channel, sinking deeply this time, until his balls met the ridge between her pussy and her anus. 

Dany exhaled a high pitched moan that went straight to Jon's tightened scrotum. It had been so long since he let himself come from Dany's touch, and being so fully nestled within her womanhood was bringing him to the edge faster and faster.

Jon rested the hand not caressing Dany's breast upon her mound, splaying his fingers across her abdomen and applying slight pressure. As he slowly fucked her with his full length, he stretched his thumb to her clit and caressed the slippery button in time with his steady thrusts. 

A second, more powerful orgasm crept up on Dany, and when it hit her full force, she choked on a scream that came out mangled. Her arms tugged hard on the straps. “Please!” she cried, throwing the rules out the window. “Plea-- Please!”

“Are you begging me?” Jon growled down at her, reflexively squeezing her nipple between finger and thumb, but that only made the shocks of pleasure enrapturing Dany's body even greater.

Jon was on top of her and all around her. He was part of ever fiber in her body. He was her flesh and bone, her blood and sweat. Jon was just as much a part of her as Dany herself. 

Her body convulsed, her jaw clenched tight, and her muscles cramped. Dany's eyes watered against the blindfold as electricity consumed her. She gasped as Jon gave a few hard thrusts, grunting as he emptied his cock inside her warmth, coating her walls with his seed. 

Mind a blur of pleasure and exhaustion, Jon curled forward, pressing his forehead between Dany's breasts. 

Dany squealed, digging her heels against Jon's back. He realized then that he was still rubbing her over-sensitive clit and immediately stilled his hand, finally granting Dany a respite from the intensity of climax. 

Dany shook like she was in hypothermia induced shock. Each of her breaths came out shuddered. “J-J-Jon,” she stuttered, chest fluttering. 

After a few haggard breaths, Jon pulled his mind together. He slid his cock from her saturated channel, rolled onto his side, and hastily pushed Dany's blindfold up to her forehead. 

The sunlight stung as it entered Dany's retinas so suddenly. It only served to make her eyes water more. She blinked rapidly, releasing the tears. 

Jon put his hand on the side of her face and looked into her red-rimmed eyes with concern. “Are you okay?”

A wide smile stretched across her face, and she began to giggle. “I'm amazing.”

“Yes you are,” Jon replied with a bright smile of his own. He quickly unfastened Dany's limbs one by one, and when she was all free, she grabbed hold of Jon and brought him back down onto the bed with her, clinging tightly to him, arms around his neck and a leg hooked around his hip. Jon held her trembling form close. “You were so good, baby,” Jon whispered sweetly against her hair, gently kissing the side of her head. 

“I didn't do anything,” Dany said, still giggling softly. 

“Are you kidding? That was everything, Dany. What you've done for me today. . . You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“What I did for you?” Dany asked curiously, leaning her head back to look questioningly into Jon's dark eyes. “I thought you were doing this for me. I told you about this fantasy a long time ago.”

“You did?”

“That night. Remember? My twenty-first birthday. When you took my virginity for real.” Dany lifted a smirk. “I told you I wanted to live in your bed all day just waiting for you to come home and fuck my brains out.”

“Shit. . .” Jon smiled. “You're right. So. . . I guess we were fulfilling each other's fantasy then?”

“I wish we could do it everyday.” 

Jon pressed a gentle kiss to Dany's lips. “I love you so much, Dany,” he whispered before giving her another kiss. 

As soon as Dany reciprocated the statement, Jon was sitting up and lifting Dany's knees so he could slowly pulled the butt plug free of Dany's anus. He dropped it to the floor, the pile of his clothes cushioning its fall. Then, he crawled back into Dany's arms and rocked her gently.

Time was slipping away, but Jon would let Dany sleep for a good twenty minutes before waking her with the unfortunate reality that work awaited them both, Dany at Lannister & Baratheon, and Jon at the courthouse. 

* * * * *

It was two o'clock when Dany finally made it into the office, pussy muscles still tender from the early afternoon delight. She would have to work into the night to make up for it, but that was a sacrifice she had been willing to make to nurture this fantasy with Jon. When they first began strategizing, Jon didn't like the idea of pretending Dany was someone else; Jon wasn't interested in fucking another woman, even if just pretend. “Don't think of it like you're fucking someone else,” Dany had said while they cuddled on the sofa together a few nights ago. “Think of it like you're fucking a special part of me. A part that no one else gets to see.” Jon had touched a finger to her bottom lip before kissing it. “I want to fuck all your parts,” he whispered before dipping his hand into her panties and rubbing her to completion while Wheel of Fortune played in the background.

By the time Dany sat down at her desk, her pussy was wet again. God, she was insatiable. She always had been. But while she used to go hungry, her sexuality caged and wilting under a sunless sky and dry earth, Jon had become her sun and her rain all at once, keeping her moist and strong. Jon warmed her, and she smiled. Jon watered her, and she grew.

There was a knocking at Dany's door, but the knocker did not wait for the go-ahead before pushing the door wide and sauntering in. “Hello, Dany.” It was Tywin, eyes glued down at a thick, binder-clipped document in his hands. He stood before Dany's desk, and said, “I see you've been keeping Jon busy.”

She cleared her throat to mask a nervous sound. “What do you mean?”

“He spent all yesterday writing that brief for you, and then he spent all day today re-writing it.”

“Oh. . . Well, I just had a few notes.”

“You had a lot of notes.” Tywin eyed Dany finally, though his nose still pointed at his reading material. “You're a perfectionist. It's a good quality, unless it gets in the way. The brief he wrote yesterday was fine.”

“This judge is a real--”

“I need Jon working on other matters. You're free to utilize him when he isn't otherwise engaged, but just because you're dating him doesn't mean he's your personal assistant. You can be the boss all you want outside of the office, but here, I'm the boss. Stop monopolizing my employees. If you want the brief re-written, do it yourself or find someone who doesn't have anything on their docket. Understand?”

_Understand?_ The question felt so humiliating from her boss's mouth while, when spoken by Jon, is always made Dany tingle with excitement. If she understood, it meant she was a good girl deserving of lots of rewards. But when Dany nodded for Tywin, she felt worthless. Jon made her feel little, while Tywin just made her feel small. 

* * * * *

**FEBRUARY, 2020**

"You came."

"Yeah." Jon sat down on the bench adjacent from the one Robb sat in. They were in a courtyard outside the ritzy rehabilitation facility Robb had squeezed his way into via a hefty up-front deposit. Jon already spotted a couple of has-been C-list celebrities on his walk across the grounds. As soon as he saw Robb, sitting in flip flops and an oversized sweatshirt, Jon wanted to put his arms around him and hug him the way they used to when they were young. But they hadn't done that in a long time.

"This place looks like Nirvana, huh?" Robb said. "The outside is beautiful, but the inside is like a torture chamber. I'm not even allowed to have my own room. They've got me bunked with some Assemblyman's son. A real prick. Doesn't shut the door when he shits."

"Well, it's at least as bad as college then," Jon joked half-humorously. 

"I'm really glad you came."

"Well, you managed to get Cat to call me, so I figured you must have had something really important to say. So, let's hear it."

Robb was silent for some time. Minutes. Just when Jon was getting up to leave, Robb said, "Talisa. . . She won't see me. She's really pissed."

"I bet. She took you back because she believed you when you said you weren't an addict – that you were done with drinking and--"

Robb scoffed. "She took me back because she was pregnant. And she never should have. I'm a piece of shit."

“So that's it?” Jon asked, finally looking at Robb. “You're just a piece of shit, and everyone else is collateral damage? Fuck Talisa, because she should have known better than to trust a piece of shit like you? Is that what they're teaching you here? That you're hopeless, and we should have all just given up a long time ago?”

“Why not? What makes me so special? What makes me different from your mom?”

Jon's jaw tensed, eyes glowering into Robb's. “Is that why you asked me to come here? So I could make you feel better about yourself?”

“No,” Robb stated firmly, only somewhat convincingly. “I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry.”

Jon shook his head. “I knew you were fucked up. I made peace with it by the salad course.”

“Then why do you look so mad? Why haven't you called? I've been here over a month.”

“Because,” Jon mumbled, staring down at his hands in his lap. “I can't trust you.”

“Jon.” Robb tried to reach for his brother's hand, but Jon pulled it away before contact could be made. With a scoff, Robb said, “This is fucking bullshit.”

“Bullshit?” Jon snapped a glare at his brother. “You promised me you were done with drinking. Low and behold you were doing bumps all day during a horrendous party that _you_ put together and guilt tripped me into attending even though I wanted to spend the day with my girlfriend who, by the way, was having a fucking miscarriage right in front of you, and you were too fucked out of your head to do anything. You know, she texted me that she needed me, not even for herself, but for _you._ Because she was worried about _you._ And you were doing that shit while your fucking baby was in the house?” Jon laughed humorlessly. “Do you even know what you were snorting? Because it wasn't just coke. They ran a blood test at the hospital. According to Talisa, you were also high on speed and what was basically crystallized embalming fluid. Who did you get that shit off of, Robb? What the fuck were you thinking?”

Robb seethed, though his eyes misted. “I messed up, alright? But don't lie and say you've been staying away from me because of what happened on Christmas Eve. You've been looking for a reason to cut me, and everyone else, out of your life ever since Dad died. Once he was gone, you didn't want anything to do with any of us. You threw us away. You blamed us for what happened to you, because it never happened to us.”

Jon stared at him incredulously. “I never threw anyone away.”

“That's bullshit. You never text me. Never call. When I reach out, you find any possible way to avoid talking to me. When I was in the first rehab, you only visited once, and you told me you would be there for me, and that you would help me, but then you disappeared.”

“I was getting a divorce,” Jon argued. “I was moving out of the home I built with my wife and into a shitty apartment. I was going to lawyer meetings and mediations and having to start my life over. You couldn't handle what I was going through, and I didn't have time to deal your problems on top of my own. I wasn't pushing you away. I just didn't have time.”

A sadness washed over Robb. “You're never going to have time, are you?”

“What for? So I can let you hurt me? So I can watch you make all your promises again and again only to watch you fucking kill yourself?”

“I need you,” Robb mumbled sadly.

Jon looked away, swiping away the tear that slid down his cheek. A minute of silence passed before the bench Robb sat upon creaked, and Jon felt arms circling his shoulders. Robb's cheek came to rest on the top of Jon's head. 

They were the same age, Robb only a couple months older. Teachers would assume they were twins until being told pointedly by Cat that Jon was not her biological son. Then they just assumed Jon was a foster kid and felt sorry for him. Cat had always pressured Robb not to hang out with Jon at school. She wanted him to find other friends, better friends, and Robb was a good little boy; he never disobeyed his mother. At home, away from the prying gaze of Cat, Robb was Jon's best friend. But in public, at least until after high school, it was like they hardly knew one another. 

“You're my brother,” Robb quietly insisted. “You're my best friend. I'm sorry I never protected you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother. You were always stronger than me, though. You never let her break you. But. . .” he paused to sniffle as he rubbed Jon's back with the palms of his hands, “I'm broken. I'm broken, and I need you. Please, Jon.”

Jon cried against Robb's chest, tears staining the gray cotton. But he only allowed himself a minute of emotional abandon before leaning out of Robb's embrace and wiping his face with the sleeves of his sweater. “You have to mean it this time,” he croaked. “If I lose you. . . I don't think I'll really have any family left.”

_Except Dany,_ Jon's new family. If it weren't for her, Jon didn't know if he could make it through this to even try and be there for Robb. He'd be broken, too.”

“I mean it, Jon,” Robb promised, hands firm upon Jon's shoulders. 

“Then tell me what you need, and I'll do it.”

“Will you come back and see me? I've got almost two month left in this place.”

“I'll come back.”

“Will you talk to Talisa? See if she'll come by?”

Jon sighed. “I'll try.”

“I love you.”

Jon's eyes squinted reflexively. He couldn't recall the last time Robb spoke those words to him in earnest. Maybe never. The words felt strange as they left Jon's mouth, but Robb was his brother, and he needed him, so he said them. “I love you, too.” 

* * * * *

Dany knew Jon had gone to see Robb, and she worried about Jon's ability to cope with seeing his brother in rehab again. She had been doing work on her laptop, seated on the loveseat and taking peaks at the TV – a Law & Order: SVU marathon – between answering emails. When Jon came into their apartment just before dark, she hesitantly asked how things went, but Jon was so eerily quiet that Dany worried it hadn't gone well. She turned off the television and set her laptop on the coffee table. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. “It didn't go well?”

After draping his jacket over a dining chair, Jon crossed the room and flopped down on the sofa, lying on his back and shutting his eyes like he had just ran a marathon. “It went,” Jon groaned. 

Dany stood and went to him, sitting on the edge of the sofa cushions and casting her gaze down at him. She rested her palm on the center of Jon's chest and stroked slow circles over his heart. “What does that mean?” she whispered. 

Jon's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at his Daisy. She was in one of his white t-shirts, with nothing on bottom save for panties Jon could not see from under the tee. _Such a good girl._ She was pouting slightly, but it wasn't to seduce him. She looked genuinely worried, and for the first time, her worry made Jon feel better, because there was so much love in it that Jon could not possibly be dismayed. “Have I ever told you about my mom?” he soon asked. 

The question took Dany slightly aback. Jon was getting better at opening up, but he still rarely brought up his mother. “You told me she was an addict, and that she left you with your father when you were three, and then she died.”

“Did I ever tell you what she looked like?”

Dany shook her head. 

“That's because I don't know.” Jon smiled softly through his melancholy. He put his left hand on Dany's thigh, letting the cool gold around his finger chill her warm flesh. “At some point, I stopped being able to remember what she looked like, and my dad didn't have any pictures of her. I wanted to ask him to describe her for me on so many occasions, but I chickened out every time. Even as he was dying, I couldn't muster up the courage. I could have looked her up, maybe found a mug shot or two, but I thought that would be worse than not knowing, seeing her like that. I've had this vision of her in my head for a long time, though. She looks nothing like Cat. She's shorter, not so thin. She's got dark hair, curly like mine, or maybe thick and wavy, like yours.” Jon used his other hand to scoop up a portion of Dany's hair and smooth it over her shoulder and down her back. “She has dark eyes, and a really, really kind smile. She's also always, like, thirty-five. No matter how old I get, I think it'll always be the same.”

“I'm sure she loved you very much.”

Jon turned his eyes to Dany's milky knee. “I'd like to think that.”

Dany leaned down, resting her chin atop the hand upon Jon's chest. “You were her baby. She took care of you for three years. She took care of you for as long as she could before she realized she couldn't anymore. She thought that you being with your father was going to be the best thing for you. She was giving you a gift. At least, she was trying to.”

She had no way of knowing that, though. No way at all. Still, Jon found his heart beating quicker under the weight of her words. It didn't matter if Jon's mother really was just trying to give him the best life possible, or if she was simply fed up with carting a toddler with her on drug runs. It didn't matter if she ever really loved him, because Jon would always love her regardless. With Dany, though. . . Dany loved him back, and that was the greatest gift he'd ever received. 

Dany crawled until she was lying fully on the sofa, halfway atop Jon, and she put her arms around him, nuzzling her nose against his neck. Jon held her back, squeezing tight as if desperate to never forget how her body felt against him. Soon enough, their lips connected, and Jon was desperate to never part from them. But despite his desperation, Jon kissed her slowly, savoring every crease of her plump lips as they lingers against his. He breathed into her mouth and dipped his tongue into the warm cavern. 

Dany felt Jon's cock grow against her thigh, and she moved her leg slowly to coax it along. After minutes of this, Jon gripped her butt and turned them both over carefully, never breaking their kiss. 

With Dany beneath him now, head rested upon a velvety throw pillow, Jon dug his bulge into her crotch, slowly humping her as he sucked saliva from her tongue. Dany moaned, spreading wide her thighs to give Jon as much access as possible. 

Jon finally parted his mouth from Dany's, moving it to her throat and running the flat of his tongue up her flesh to her chin. He moved lower then, curving his back to reach his mouth to her breast. He squeezed gently the underswell and latched his mouth onto the nipple, washing his tongue around the nub through the thin cotton that veiled it. The fabric was soon soaked through with Jon's saliva, and he saw faintly the pinkness of her areola.

A high pitched whimper breezed past Dany's parted lips, and Jon turned his eyes up to watch her face, twisted with pleasure, as he stimulated her clit with his clothed erection and molested her nipple with his hungry mouth. He pinched the other through her shirt and asked, “What is it, baby?”

Another whimper. “I'm gonna come.”

_Just like this?_ She was going to come just from dry humping and a tongue to her nipple? She never ceased to amaze Jon. 

Keeping his eyes on her, Jon pinched her wet nipple between his teeth and tugged, causing her to gasp and buck her hips up against him. Her head lulled back, eyes rolling and back arching to feed her breast to Jon. When he tugged Dany's shirt up and latched onto her bare nipple, she screamed, hooking her legs around Jon's hips and humping up to meet his every gyration. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her body convulsed beneath his weight. 

Jon sucked hard on her nipple, tugging it until it snapped from his suctioned lips, and then he reconnected his mouth with Dany's. He kissed her slow and deep as he slowed his hips, easing her down from her high. 

A soft moan vibrated through Dany's throat, and their kisses turned languid. Her chest heaved slowly. Her eyes were half-lidded. But her legs never unhooked from Jon's hips. 

Jon eventually broke their kiss and gazed into Dany's blue eyes as he drew his hand down between them, unfastening his trousers. He pushed his underwear down and freed his raging cock. He gripped--

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Both their bodies froze as a hardy rapping at the front door echoed through the apartment.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

“We'll ignore it,” Jon decided. He gave his cock a couple strokes, then hooked his thumb in the fabric of Dany's damp panties, pushing the crotch to the side and exposing her glistening folds. 

Dany bit down on her bottom lip, anxious for Jon to fill her. He guided the head to her channel and pressed forth.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._ “Daenerys!” a voice exclaimed, stopping Dany's heart as soon as Jon pressed a mere inch inside her. “Open up! It's your father!”

In a split second, Dany was thrust back in time. She wasn't a woman playing with her partner anymore, but rather a teenage girl sneaking around behind her parents' backs. She wasn't Jon's good girl anymore, but a dirty, filthy girl her father would be ashamed of. In the time it took Dany to gasp, she pushed Jon off of her and jumped off the sofa so fast she nearly fell into the coffee table. But she somehow found her balance and sprinted into her bedroom. 

Jon sat up, so stunned his brain wasn't functioning well enough to process what was happening until Dany came running out of the bedroom, tugging on a pair of jeans. She hurried to the door while buttoning the fly. Suddenly, Jon jolted into action, realizing that he could not greet Dany's father again after all these years with a raging erection and Dany's come staining the front of his pants. He ran into the bedroom, following the same line Dany had sprinted, and shut the door just as Dany was opening the front. 

“Dad?” Dany asked as soon as she came face to face with Aerys Targaryen, her aged father, who looked more like a grandfather to someone of twenty-six. Behind her father, stood her mother, many years her husband's junior. “Mom? What are you two doing here?”

“Well, don't look so anguished to see us!” her mother exclaimed, pushing past her husband and daughter to waltz into the apartment like she lived there. 

“We had a layover in LAX on our way to Hawaii, and the flight was delayed until tomorrow. Thought we would pop by before checking into the hotel,” explained Aerys. 

“Did you call?” Dany asked, out of breath from running around like a mad person, and still flushed from achieving orgasm just two minutes ago. She hadn't had time to change her panties, and she felt both icky and horny all at once at having to tug on clean jeans over soaked-through cotton. 

“Why should we have to call?” asked Rhaella. “We're your parents. Were you going to turn us away?”

“Of course not,” answered Dany quickly. “But, I could have been busy. I could have been out.”

“Out? Where would you be going out on a Tuesday evening?” Aerys asked. “You haven't been slacking off at work, have you? You need to stay focused, Daenerys. No one is going to do you any favors.”

“I know,” Dany sighed. “It just would have been nice if you'd called. I would have tidied up.”

“I thought you had a woman who cleaned,” Rhaella said. 

“I did, but--” Dany was interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door opening, and she was suddenly reminded of the other reason she was so dismayed by her parents' abrupt visit. Not only had her playtime session been thwarted, but the man she had been playing with was someone her parents had decided long ago wasn't good enough for their daughter. 

She quickly turned around, but not quick enough to miss the looks of confusion upon her parents' faces that there was a fourth in the apartment. She was happy to see Jon in fresh jeans and a shirt long enough to conceal his erection. It was actually startling, and quite arousing, how Jon managed to switch into cool guy mode with such speed. He didn't look flustered at all, rather he looked casual and charming, hair perfectly imperfect in loose curls, tucked behind his ears. 

“Um. . .” She turned back to her parents quickly. “This is Jon. Um. . . He's, uh. . .”

“The boyfriend?” Rhaella asked, thin brows curved upward.

Dany released the breath she's been holding in. That's right. She'd already told her mom she was seeing someone. Maybe this wouldn't be so awkward. 

“Boyfriend?” Aerys scoffed, casting a stern, accusatory, look at his wife. “Since when does Daenerys have a boyfriend?”

_Shit._ Her father didn't know. Dany's heart rate jumped back up, pounding heavy against her chest. 

Rhaella tossed her arms up defensively. “I'm sorry, Aerys. It slipped my mind. Your daughter called me at midnight, after I had already taken my sleeping pill. What was I supposed to do? Take notes for you?”

Dany flinched when Jon's arm grazed her shoulders. She was on edge, and she hated the feeling. She hated that her first instinct was to shy away from Jon's touch to appease her father's scrutiny. 

“I'm Jon,” he confidently spoke, outstretching his arm toward Dany's parents. “It's nice to meet you both.”

Rhaella smiled the way she would smile at the help and offered him a limp hand to shake. In lieu of a greeting, Aerys suspiciously stated, “You look familiar. . .”

“He lived next to us in Pasadena,” Dany meekly explained. 

Jon added, “I lived with the Starks growing up, right next door. Dany and I went to school together. You probably remember me from when I came around looking for Dany after--”

Aerys's eyes squinted. “You're that kid I tossed out of the house,” he stated contemptuously. Apparently time had not cooled the patriarch's opinions on the situation. Jon wondered if Aerys still thought his daughter was a virgin. 

“That's me,” Jon replied confidently, even chuckling a bit. Maybe it was Aerys's age, or maybe it was Jon's, but he decided Aerys wasn't so scary anymore. He was just a hard ass old man. He didn't own Dany. He could not control her the way he could when she was a teen. He could not send her away just because she wanted to kiss a boy she liked. _Loved._ In a fit of dominance, Jon put his arm around Dany's shoulders, bringing her to his side. “I had the good fortune of reuniting with Dany a few times since high school, and we've been together officially for almost six months now.”

Dany looked up at Jon in a daze. She felt like a spectator watching as two cars played chicken on the highway. 

“Six months?” Aerys asked like the phrase was foreign to his tongue. His head turned to Dany, giving her the same stern look he'd given his wife. “Is this true?” 

Dany gulped. “Yeah. . .” She peeled herself from Jon's side, stepping away from him. “Can I get you two anything to drink? I have wine. Wine sounds good. There's beer, too. A few cans of Sprite. Milk?”

She shuffled into the kitchen before anyone could respond. She felt like a child, but the fact was, Dany had never introduced a man to her parents before. Actually, the only man they had ever met who Dany was at all interested in was Jon, over a decade ago, and just long enough for them to throw him out. Dany was perfectly okay with letting her parents believe she was a celibate spinster her whole life, never telling them about Jon or the life they had just begun building together. Was that selfish? She suddenly felt selfish. She poured herself a big glass of wine and took a heavy sip. 

“So, is it serious, or. . ?” Rhaella asked Jon in a much kinder tone, though there was still a heavy dash of disapproval. 

“I just moved in, actually,” Jon replied, “so we're living together now. It's pretty serious. I mean, I love your daughter very much, and if she lets me, I fully intend to spend the rest of my life with her.”

In the kitchen, Dany choked on her second sip, quickly setting the glass down and coughing up a storm. Jon was beside her moments later, palm on her back, stroking her spine. “Are you okay?”

Dany glanced to where her parents watched Jon sooth her, and she quickly stepped away from him once more, shaking her head. “I'm fine. I'm fine. Um. . . So, Hawaii? That sounds great!”

But no one seemed to want to talk about Hawaii. 

“Why don't we sit down,” Rhaella suggested, coming up to Dany and resting a hand on her arm. Lowering her voice, she said, “And, darling, you're not wearing a bra.”

Dany looked down at her chest, seeing hard nipples poking against the thin white material of Jon's shirt. She quickly folded her arms over her chest and scurried back into the bedroom, exclaiming, “Be right back!”

When Dany came out of the bedroom, she was in a nude bra and the white blouse she had worn to work that day. Her parents were seated on the sofa where Jon had been humping her to climax just a few minutes ago, and Jon was sat on the loveseat. Aerys was asking Jon what he did for a living, and Dany supposed that was a good thing until she remembered what Jon did for a living. 

“I'm an attorney also,” Jon answered succinctly. 

“Oh.” Aerys seemed to perk up at this statement, having doubted that the degenerate kid who was caught groping his teenage daughter would grow up to be something of value to society. “What sort of law do you practice?”

“I'm a public defender,” Jon answered easily, and all glimmer of hope was sucked right out of Aerys in an instant. 

“A public defender?” he balked. “Only attorneys who can't get a job for a real firm go into public defending. What law school did you go to? Don't tell me the University of Phoenix is giving out law school certificates now.”

Jon chuckled humorlessly. “No, I didn't go to the University of Phoenix. I went to Loyola.”

“Loyola?” Aerys scoffed. “Well, I suppose that is technically a law school.”

Dany was livid at her father for his remarks. What did it even matter which school Jon went to for his law degree? He passed the Bar. The same examination Dany passed out of Berkeley. The same one it took Aerys three tries to pass fifty years ago. She wanted to say all of this, but the words were stuck in her throat. She could barely defend herself to her father let alone defend another. 

“I do public defending because I enjoy it,” Jon continued. “And I do work for a _real_ firm part-time. I actually work in the same office as Dany.”

“What position?” asked Aerys skeptically. 

“Junior Associate.”

Rhaella chimed in with, “Well, Dany was promoted to Senior Litigator.”

Aerys finished the thought. “So, that means you are my daughter's subordinate.” He said it like it was a negative, like he would approve of Jon more if he were Dany's boss. 

“I suppose so,” Jon answered. He looked to Dany, where she stood in front of the bedroom door, unable to move, because she knew she would have to sit beside Jon, but that was just too daunting under her parents' judgmental gaze. 

“So, she makes more money than you do. Significantly more.”

“Yes,” Jon answered. 

“You work for her, essentially.”

“I suppose.”

“She's practically your boss,” Aerys pushed. “She could fire you. Or, at least, she could have you fired if ever she so chooses. That doesn't bother you?”

Dany fumed. _Would you rather I date someone who could fire me?_ but the words wouldn't leave her throat. It didn't matter anyway, Dany decided. Fire Jon? She could never, but not only because she would never want to. She might have been Senior Litigator, but she had no more power in the office than she had as a Junior Associate. Tywin and Robert were never shy about asserting that fact. Everyone in the office knew, Jon knew, and Dany knew most of all. And yet, Jon would never reveal such a fact to Dany's parents. 

“No, it doesn't bother me,” he answered. 

Finally, Dany managed to speak, “Jon is very good at what he does, Dad.”

To which Aerys replied flippantly, “I'm sure he's a fine public defender, and a fine part-time Junior Associate, but you don't really think you'll be able to keep this up once you've made partner, do you?” 

Dany actually laughed, because it was just too ridiculous of an idea to even try to entertain. Partner? They would never make Dany partner. Not at Lannister & Baratheon. No, they would make Theon partner before ever considering her. Hell, they would probably make Jon partner before considering her. 

“Is that funny?” asked Aerys irritably. 

Dany shook her head, looking down at the floor. 

“What's that?” asked Rhaella. Dany looked back up to follow Rhaella's slender finger, pointed at Jon's left hand where he wore the not-wedding band on his wedding ring finger, same as he did every day. “Are you married?” She turned to Dany with an incredulous gaze. “Are you married?”

“No,” Dany quickly said.

In a fluid motion, Rhaella stood and came to Dany, taking hold of her daughter's left hand. Dany struggled slightly under her mother's grip, but Rhaella made quick time in sliding the silver ring off of Dany's finger. Rhaella examined it for all of two seconds before declaring, “Well, this is a piece of junk, but that--” She pointed toward Jon “--is a wedding band.”

Dany purposefully took the silver ring back from Rhaella and put it back on her finger. It was the most defiant act she had ever done in front of her parents. 

“Daenerys, please assure your mother you aren't married,” Aerys demanded.

“We aren't married. We're just dating.”

“We live together,” Jon stated, eyeing Dany oddly over her declaration. 

“Yes,” Dany quickly said. “We live together, but we aren't married. I promise. They're just. . . like. . . commitment rings.”

“Commitment rings? What is that?” Rhaella asked, her concern not quelled. “Is that some weird millennial thing?”

Jon answered, standing from the loveseat. “It means we're committed to one another. We love each other, trust each other, are faithful to each other. And once I get her a better ring, I'll propose to her for real.”

Dany's eyes widened at Jon as her heart filled with bittersweet emotions. She longed for Jon to propose to her. She longed to call Jon her fiance, but why would he say these things to her in front of her parents? Their presence tainted what should have been a beautiful moment. Instead of leaping into Jon's arms with glee, Dany wanted to run and hide. 

“That's. . .” Aerys began with a shake of his head. “That's not going to happen.”

Dany's eyes turned to her father. He looked like he wanted to throw Jon out, and the fact that he couldn't aggravated him further. But Aerys wasn't the sort of person who got angry out loud. He internalized it all, made passive aggressive remarks, then ignored you indefinitely. 

“If my daughter was intent on marrying you,” Aerys told Jon, “she wouldn't have kept this whole relationship a secret from her family.”

“I told mom,” Dany interjected, raising her voice. “It isn't my fault she ignored me like she always does and didn't tell you.” All eyes turned to Dany to watch her fume with emotion. She felt guilty for her outburst, but only because she'd chosen her mother to pick on, when Rhaella wasn't nearly as big a problem as Aerys. “And maybe if you would actually bother to call me once in a while, instead of the other way around, you would have known about Jon without having to barge into my apartment out of the blue.”

“Excuse me?” said Aerys, and Dany swore she could see the steam coming from his ears. “Barge in? You think that just because you make your own money now that you're entitled to something? Don't forget who paid for all those tutors, those prep schools, an Ivy League tuition, law school and rent, and a new car on top of it all. Everyone always said what a little genius you were. You were only a genius because I paid for it. But you're upset because Daddy doesn't call you enough?”

“Aerys, stop,” Rhaella hissed, tugging on his arm. “She's doing well. Let her have her fun.”

“It isn't fun, Mom,” Dany insisted, trying to hold back the tears. “I mean, it is fun, but it's more than that. I love him. I've always loved him. I don't care that he works below me. He doesn't even like that job. He only started working there so he could see me. He's always doing things so he can see me. But you guys never want to see me. Not unless you have a layover in LAX and a delayed connecting flight.”

Jon came beside her, and this time, she did not flinch when he slipped his arm around her waist.

“Dany, that isn't true,” Rhaella implored, though her words rang hollow. “We have always wanted to see you. I don't know where all of this is coming from. We could have just gone to the hotel – I mean, we did just get off a five hour flight after all, and first class is not as classy as it once was – but we wanted to have dinner with our daughter.”

“Well, maybe if you had called first. . .” Dany muttered.

Aerys released a sigh, shoulders relaxing as he glanced at his wife, and for a brief moment, Dany wondered if he had actually understood her point of view. But rather than an apology, Aerys replied, “I don't know when you became so dramatic, Daenerys, but it isn't becoming of a woman.”

“I think she's a very becoming woman,” replied Jon before he turned to Dany. “You should spend time with your parents. You don't get to see them very often.”

“Come to dinner with us, Dany,” Rhaella urged. “Let's just forget this nonsense. We don't care that you're dating below yourself.”

“He's not below me!”

“It's okay,” Jon mumbled close to Dany's ear. 

“No,” said Aerys, putting an arm around Rhaella. “Our daughter does not wish to see us right now. We will abide by her wishes and have dinner alone at the hotel by ourselves. Come on.”

Dany watched, suddenly heartbroken, as her father ushered her mother to the door. They let themselves out, and the small space in Dany's heart reserved for them ached. “I'm sorry,” she muttered. 

“For what?” Jon's eyes squinted with confusion. He took Dany into his arms and held her tight. 

“I thought I was getting better,” Dany spoke against Jon's shoulder. “But being around my parents, I just. . . wilt.”

Jon chuckled incredulously. “Seriously? You call that wilting? That was awesome, Dany. You stood up for yourself. And you defended me, again. Jeez, remind me to bring you to the sports bar next time the Rams play the 49ers and you can fist fight the drunk NorCal people for me.”

Dany cracked a small, melancholic smile. “I didn't like that they were belittling you.”

Jon tucked his head down and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You should go have dinner with them.”

Face scrunching with displeasure, Dany asked, “Why in the world should I do that?”

“Because they're your parents, and who knows when the next time they'll have a layover in LA will be.”

Dany pouted. “What about you? I don't want to leave you all alone.”

“I'm just going to be doing laundry anyway. Might need to watch some porn, but I think I can manage without your company for a couple hours.”

“Well. . . if you really think I should. . .” Dany moved to the dining table where she'd left her purse and fished out her phone. 

“I think you should.” Jon's urging made her feel less foolish in her desire to spend the evening with her parents, regardless of their opinions. Just as Jon would always love his mother no matter how she may have treated him, Dany would always love her parents, even when they made her furious. 

Dany dialed her mom's cell number and pressed the phone to her ear. “Fine, but you're finishing what you started when I get back.”

Jon cocked an eyebrow and a mischievous smile. “Oh, are you making demands now, Daisy?”

Her cheeks pinked bashfully. “Maybe.”

As Rhaella's voice chimed a “Hello” into Dany's ear, Jon closed the gap between them and hooked an arm around her, pressing his ever-present bulge against her belly. Dany struggled to stifle her giggles while she asked her mother which restaurant they had in mind – she would meet them there after they checked into their hotel. 

“Please wear something appropriate, Daenerys,” Rhaella urged her through the line. “We don't want to be turned away at the lobby.”

“I will,” Dany promised with a heavy eye roll. 

As soon as Dany tapped the End Call button, Jon grazed his fingers around her neck and lifted her chin. “How can you be such a good girl, and yet so naughty all at once?”

Dany lifted a timid smirk, her hand trailing between them to gentle palm Jon's bulge. “I have a little bit of time before I need to leave, in case you'd rather look at something real while you get off.”

Jon's dark eyes ignited with a lustful fire. “Take off your clothes, and get on your knees. Now.”

Dany's heart seized, her pussy pulsing with hunger. As quickly as she had put these clothes on, she ripped them off until she stood stark naked in the dining nook. Her knees fell to the hard wood. Jon tugged off his tie and wrapped it around Dany's eyes, tying it secure behind her head before he unzipped his pants and fished his cock from his underwear. 

Already solid and aching for release, Jon held his cock at the base and drew the tip across Dany's lips, moistening her flesh with the clear pre-come dribbling from the tip. She hastily parted her lips and darted her tongue out to taste the fluid. 

Jon put his hand on Dany's forehead and eased her back. “Did I tell you you could lick me, Daisy?”

A soft whimper left Dany's throat at being held back from Jon's cock. “No.”

“Put your fingers inside yourself,” Jon demanded, moving his hand from Dany's head. 

She immediately complied, dipping her hand between her thighs and gliding one finger, then two steadily up her channel. They were soon coated in her juices. 

“Now rub your come on my dick,” Jon instructed. 

Dany brought her hand up, grasping for Jon's cock a few times before locating it without sight. She gripped it gently with her slick hand and moisturized the length. 

“Do it again.”

Dany trembled with desire, bringing her hand back to her pussy and gathering more of her fluids to slather over Jon's cock. She did it a third time, at Jon's command, and as she stroked him, Jon made another command. 

“Now put your hands on your thighs and don't move them, or else I will punish you.”

Dany planted her palms on her thighs and kept her lips parted in anticipation for Jon's cock to push into her mouth. But that never happened. Though blind to what Jon was doing, Dany could hear the sound of him jerking his cock. Jon's free hand came to rest behind her head as if to keep it in place, but Dany wouldn't have moved it without permission. As she heard Jon grunt in a tell tale sign of orgasm, Dany knew for certain what Jon was doing.

Suddenly, warm ribbons of semen splattered Dany's face, hitting her nose and cheeks, her lips and chin, and the tie that blinded her. She felt globs hit her chest and dribble down the slope of her breast. Dany's pussy pulsed with each moan that echoed from Jon's throat to fill the air around her. It didn't matter that this meant she wasn't getting fucked. If she was a good girl now, maybe Jon would still fuck her tonight, even after she had been so bratty. 

Jon put his spent cock back into his pants and dropped to one knee, pulling his tie from Dany's head. He looked over her beauty, all painted with his seed, and immediately asked if she was okay. 

Her head bobbed as her pink tongue darted out to lick the semen from her lips. Jon leaned in and pressed a kiss to them, not minding the taste of himself. “Let's get you cleaned up and ready for dinner, okay?”

There wasn't time to shower, but Jon wiped Dany down with tissues before cleaning her face and chest with baby wipes. Thankfully nothing got in her hair. Jon also cleaned the wetness from her pussy until she was all dry and ready to be dressed in clean panties, a simple dress, and stockings. 

“Heels?” Jon asked as he went through Dany's shoe collection. 

“Yeah,” Dany replied begrudgingly. She didn't want to be “turned away at the lobby” for looking too common after all.

Jon slid one black heel onto her foot, then the other, then dabbed some lipstick on her lips. “So beautiful,” he said, admiring Dany once she was all ready to go. 

“Thank you,” Dany whispered, smiling with such sweetness. 

After a tight hug, half a dozen kisses to the side of Dany's head, and an earnest “I love you,” Jon saw Dany out the door, on her way to have an awkward, passive aggressive dinner with her only biological family. 

“Jon!” She turned in the hallway, catching Jon just before he shut the front door. He poked his head out the doorway. “Did you mean what you said?” she asked, somewhat bashful. “About being with me forever?”

“Yes,” Jon easily replied. “Are you okay with that?”

A blush spread across Dany's cheeks, and she averted her gaze. Jon could ejaculate all over her face and body without Dany feeling a hint of embarrassment, but Jon's declarations of love never ceased to cause a flutter in her belly. She felt fifteen again, but in a good way this time. She felt like she did when Jon first asked if he could come over to her house. Like all her wildest dreams were coming true. 

“Yeah,” she breathed, trying not to grin too wildly. “I'd like that.”


	18. Chapter 18

**FREBRUARY, 2020**

Dany had been thinking for days about all her father said, before dinner and after. 

_“You're his boss.”_ But was she really Jon's boss? Was she really anyone's? 

She wandered around the office the rest of the week with her antenna up, noticing every nuance in the way her co-workers, underlings or not, treated her. Things that Dany had not cared enough about to pay attention to were suddenly all she could focus on. The ways the paralegals always set her assignments aside til after they had completed Loras's, or Theon's, or even those of the lower associates. The ways the law clerks would conveniently not have time to search through the file rooms for hard copies of documents Dany needed. She suddenly realized just how often it was that she spent sifting through file cabinets herself. 

“I need five copies of this,” Dany told one of the interns who was already standing at the large copier.

“Oh, no problem,” the twenty year old chirped with a smile Dany's way as he pulled his copies from the printer tray. “Here you go.” He stepped away from the machine and left the copy room. 

With a scrunched face, Dany turned out of the room and watched as the intern bounced down the hallway. Never had Dany felt more inclined to shake her fist at a youth. With a grumble, she turned back to the copy machine, forcefully shoved her document into the top try, and attempted to orient the setting on the machine herself. 

“Hey,” Jon's voice chimed from the doorway. He immediately sensed Dany's anger. “You okay?”

“I'm fine.”

“You don't sound fine. Do you need help?”

“No. Yes. I wanted help, but not from you. I wanted help from Beavis McButthead, but he completely ignored me.”

Jon couldn't help but smile. “Beavis McButthead?”

“The intern guy. I don't know his name.”

“Well, I'll go tell Mr. McButthead to make your copies for you.”

“No,” Dany snapped. “I don't want him to do it because you told him to. I want him to do it because I told him to.”

Jon stepped forward. “Let me do it for you then.”

“No.” Dany pulled the document from the tray. “I'm going to go tell _him_ to do it.”

Dany marched to the cubicles and found the particular miscreant she was looking for. “Hey,” she said, in a less than friendly tone. “Hey.” She had to wave her hand between the guy's face and the computer monitor to get his attention. 

Bewildered, the scrawny young man tugged the ear buds from his ears. “What's up?” 

She held up her document. “I need five copies of this.”

“Oh. You wanted me to do that?”

“Yes.” She dropped the stack of papers on his desk. 

He eyed the stack awkwardly. “Well, it's just that I'm working on something for Theon, and he wants it done before lunch, so. . .”

“It'll take five minutes,” Dany said. 

“Well,” --the intern eyed his computer screen-- “this'll take a lot longer. But, if you don't mind waiting. . .”

Dany glared at the kid, but he didn't seem fazed, only more awkward. Rather than deal with him further, Dany relented, taking back her document and resigning herself to making the copies herself. Not since what Tywin and Robert pulled was Dany made so aggravated at work. Once she had her copies, she sat at her desk behind a closed door and seethed. 

She told Jon she needed to work through lunch, but really she spent her entire lunch hour on Indeed looking for a new job. And in that hour, all the determination left Dany, replaced by a melancholic dread. Sure, there were other positions available, and ones that paid the same that Dany was making currently, but to go through another series of application, interview, and hiring processes? Dany still had nightmares about all the ways she humiliated herself while looking for positions after law school. And most of the promising positions she encountered required travel, possibly a lot of it, and Dany wasn't ready to go on extended business trips without Jon. 

Eventually, a relevant memory popped into Dany's head, one of a fleeting encounter during the firm's holiday party. 

* * * * *

At five, Jon went to Dany's office to check in on her, pleased yet suspicious to find she had adopted a much more chipper demeanor than when he saw her last. He perched himself on her desk as usual and looked down at her content expression. 

“Things alright?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Dany replied convincingly, turning in her chair to look up at Jon. “I'm not going to be able to come home for a little while, though. I have an errand to run.

“Okay, well I'm shockingly finished with everything I was doing, so I can come with you if you want.”

Dany smiled sweetly, but shook her head. “It's not that sort of errand. More like an appointment.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah. It's not a medical thing. I'm just. . . I have to meet with someone.”

Jon nodded slowly, eyebrow raised as he folded his arms over his chest. “Is there a reason you're being cryptic?”

Dany's cheeks pinked. “I'm just working on something, and I don't think I want you to know about it yet.”

“Hmm.”

“But, if you need me to tell you. . .”

“No.” Jon shook his head. “I trust you. But, I drove us both here this morning. Do you need a ride to this top secret meeting?”

“I can take a Lyft.”

“Okay.” Jon slid off the desk and dipped his hands into his pockets. “I guess I'll just go grocery shopping without you.”

Dany pouted softly. “But I love going shopping with you.”

“I'd wait, but we have absolutely no food at home, and I want to cook for you.” Jon leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Dany's head. Before he left, he stopped in the doorway and tossed another suspicious gaze her way. “Have fun on your super secret mystery meeting.”

* * * * *

It was just before six when Dany arrived at a revitalized, turn of the century building. She checked the note in her phone telling her which floor and suite number her meeting was in. Sixth floor, suite 620. There was a placard affixed to the closed office doors that read, TYRION GROUP, APC. She tried the nob, and the door was unlocked.

The office suite was small. Extremely small, considering what Dany was accustomed to. Lannister & Baratheon had to have been 7,000 square feet, but this looked about as big as Dany's one-bedroom apartment. There were a couple of chairs by the front door – a waiting room of sorts – and the main area of the suite was taken up by a six-top conference table, cluttered with books, binders, and leaves of paper. On the other side of the room was a large copier, the same sort Dany had been angrily dealing with earlier that day. Glass walls revealed three offices, one of which clearly much more lived in than the other two. 

A rustling from within a narrow doorway beside the copier brought Dany's attention to a familiar face as the small man swayed out of a closet under the weight of a full file box. 

“Hi,” Dany immediately greeted.

Startled, the man dropped the box, files and papers spilling across the floor. 

“Sorry!” Dany dropped to her knees and helped the man with his documents. 

“That's alright.” Once they both had everything picked up and gathered onto a swivel chair at the conference table, he said, “So, I have to say, I did not expect your call. You must really hate it over at my dad's firm to want to slum it over here.”

Dany took another look around the suite. It didn't feel like a slum, but it certainly was not the picture of high-end professionalism that the Lannister & Baratheon offices reeked of. 

“Let's um. . .” Tyrion looked around as well. “Let's have a sit in my-- Actually, let's go to one of the empty offices.” 

He showed Dany into one of the two vacant offices and turned on the light. It was about as large as Dany's, but a little narrower, and a little longer. There were only two chairs in the room, one a faux-leather desk chair and the other a metal fold out chair. “Please,” Tyrion said, motioning for Dany to sit in the better of the two. 

“So, you want to work for me,” Tyrion stated once they were both seated across from one another. “Wait, you do want to work for me, right? Or is my father suing me, and you're here to serve the papers?”

“You said you were looking for people to join your firm, and I'm looking to change jobs,” Dany replied. “Speaking of which. . . how many people do you have working here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the sign on the door says _Tyrion Group._ Where's the group?”

“Ah!” Tyrion grinned. “The group has yet to be established.”

Dany chuckled nervously, wondering if this idea was a wash. 

“But,” Tyrion added, “my wife is here part-time.”

“Oh, is she an attorney also? Paralegal?”

“She's a massage therapist.”

Dany nodded slowly. “So, if I ever need a massage, then she'll be here. . .”

“Well, part-time.”

Dany tried not to frown, but her disappointment was overwhelming her. “I'm sorry. I guess I just thought you had a more established organization.”

“Oh, well I have clients!” Tyrion quickly assured. “Though, most of them are just cut and dry patent cases. But I'm hopeful that some of those patents will spawn genuine companies, and companies need counselors!” He released his optimism with a sigh. “Look, I'm just starting out here, and believe it or not, most people don't trust the rich dwarf with borderline alcoholism. Leprechaun imagery comes to mind. But, if you were to come work for me. . . I mean, who wouldn't trust you? Look at you! I trust you, and I can't even remember what your name is.”

“Daenerys Targaryen.”

“Boy, that is some name.”

“I go by Dany.”

“Well, that's much better. Dany. . . Who wouldn't trust a Dany?”

Dany smiled, enjoying the heavy-handedness of the man's compliments. Maybe this operation wasn't as established as she had hoped, but never had she been to a job interview that began with the boss sucking up to her like she was something valuable.

“What would my position be?” she asked. 

“Well, you'd be my first employee, so I suppose you can take your pick.”

“In that case, I want to be partner.”

Tyrion laughed out loud. “I'm serious.”

“Me, too.”

His brows furrowed, all humor gone. “Well, you'd have to buy into the company.”

“Why? Aren't you filthy rich? Old money? That's what you said at the party.” 

“You can't be partner,” Tyrion sighed. “But, I suppose that if things go smoothly over the course of a few years. . . we could revisit the idea.”

“How about, you make me Senior Counsel, but I get hiring and firing power over all future employees, and a direct say in what cases we do and don't accept.”

Tyrion silently studied Dany's self-assured countenance, as if he could judge whether or not she was worth such benefits by her appearance alone. Eventually, he replied, “I can agree to that. But you can't fire my wife. She fucks me, so she's basically allowed to do whatever she wants.”

It was Dany's turn to sit in judgment of him. “I can agree to that. And, you shouldn't talk about sex in the office.”

“I can work on that, but no promises.”

“What about salary?”

“How much is my dad paying you?”

“With bonuses, about one-sixty K.”

Tyrion choked on the number. “Holy shit. I can't do that. I might be rich, but starting a business is expensive. Maybe once we're in a better position, I can get somewhere in the ballpark of that number, but. . . You're going to have to come down on that.”

Dany pulled out her phone, typing on her calculator for a full minute before responding. “I will need. . . eighty-five. No. . . ninety.”

“I can do ninety.” Tyrion extended his hand for a ritual shake. 

Dany hesitated. “Twice monthly checks?”

“Of course.”

“Health benefits?

“Working on it.”

Dany gave him a pointed look. 

“I promise I will have something for you by the time you start,” Tyrion assured. “I'm assuming you haven't put in your two week at my father's firm yet?”

Dany nodded and finally shook the man's hand. 

On their way out of the office, Tyrion mused, “I guess this will be your office then. I'll have to get you some better chairs.”

“Is there a kitchen in here?”

“No. But I've got a microwave, and there's a Peet's right next to the building.” Tyrion stopped before the suite door, and looked suspiciously up at Dany. “You must really hate working for my dad, huh?”

She released a sigh. “No one respects me there. No one but my boyfriend, I mean. Your father doesn't, my co-workers don't. I can't even command enough respect in that office to get some twenty-year-old pre-law student to make me copies.”

“Well, let me reiterate that you are my only employee so far, so you will still need to make your own copies,” Tyrion warned. 

“Not after I hire us an intern,” Dany retorted. 

Tyrion gave an expression like the concept was foreign to him. “An intern? Why didn't I think of that? Free labor? And it's legal? Man, sounds kind of messed up, but yeah, let's do that.”

“So I'll see you in about two weeks then?”

“Your chairs and your health benefits will be waiting when you get here.”

Dany left the office suite with a big, giddy smile on her face. She didn't think she could feel this good after having her income cut almost in half, but money had never been important to Dany. Maybe this was all a terrible idea. Maybe Tyrion would be just as shitty as Tywin. Maybe the firm would sink underwater before they got any significant clients. Maybe Dany should have paid more attention when Tyrion called himself a borderline alcoholic. But she chose not to dwell on those matters. Sure, she'd be making less and she'd be working for a much less prestigious firm, but she would finally be the boss. She would finally have power where she needed it. She was proud of herself. 

Now, she just hoped Jon would also be proud of her. 

* * * * *

In the canned foods isle of the Vons a mile down PCH, Jon dropped a few microwavable chicken noodle soups into his half-filled cart for Dany to eat at work. For cooking purposes, he also grabbed a couple cans of Vegetarian refried beans and a can of black olives. Next, onto the dry food isle for pasta and rice. He worked from the produce section at the far left of the store to the frozen foods section at the far right. By the time he was mulling over a bag of frozen raspberries versus blueberries, an eerily familiar voice rang out from behind him. 

“Jon?”

He turned, coming face to face with Val. 

“Oh. Hello.” He immediately glanced around them to see if he was still in Vons and not in one of hell's inner circles.

“Hey.” She smiled kindly, but with something dark behind her eyes. Exhaustion. A makeup-less face showed dark circles under her eyes. “How are things?”

Jon looked her up and down, not seeing the same Val he'd been married to for two years. She was the sort of woman who wouldn't leave the house without putting a curling iron through her hair and checking her outfit five times in the full-length mirror to make sure she had on the right amount of accessories. But this Val was more or less disheveled, wrinkled t-shirt under an oversized sweater, hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She was still pretty, but in a way Jon never thought she would let the outside world see. 

“Fine,” he replied, and repeated the question back.

“Oh, I'm uh. . .” she paused to let out a short laugh. She rested her hand on the shopping cart beside her. A few items sat at the bottom corner, but the cart was filled mostly with that of a baby carrier. “I'm alright. Just, uh. . . getting through it.”

Jon craned his head, peering into the baby carrier and seeing a tiny slumbering baby, bundled in a white onesie and a Mickey Mouse blanket. “This must be little neighbor.”

“Little neighbor?” Val laughed again, a genuine laugh that made Jon think she was caught up in a fit of delirium. He couldn't imagine the Val he remembered finding that very funny. “Her name is Chloe.”

Jon nodded slowly. “And where's big neighbor?”

“Business trip.” All the light left Val's eyes as she spoke those two sad words. “He'll be back next week, so I'm. . . getting through it.”

Jon shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his sympathy negating his general distaste for being in the same space as his ex-wife. “How, uh. . . how old?”

“Three weeks. She was a little premature.”

“Shit,” he cringed. “Three weeks and neighbor's on a business trip?”

Jon must not have kept his sarcastic “some choice in guy you made there” look off his face, because Val replied with a deep frown and misty eyes. _Shit. Please don't cry. Please don't cry._

Somehow, she pulled herself together and asked, “Are you still with Dany?”

“Yeah.”

“How's that going?”

“Uh. . . It's going great. We're living together now. She usually comes shopping with me, but she had an appointment after work.”

Val smiled at that, finding it amusing, or maybe she was just excited to have a conversation with someone who wasn't an infant. “I don't know if she told you, but I came by the hospital when--”

“She told me.”

“She's very pretty, and sassy, and she seems to care very passionately for you. I like her.”

“You seem to like a lot of people in my life. I hear you invited all the Starks to your wedding.”

Val wrinkled her nose at Jon's unfavorable tone. “I just didn't know if. . . I didn't want to. . . Look, I'm not an expert in divorce dynamics. I've only had the one, you know. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to just cut everyone associated with you out of my life. I didn't expect them to RSVP.”

Jon cast a suspicious look. “Arya RSVPed, didn't she?”

“And Sansa.”

Jon rolled his eyes. 

“You're invited, too, you know,” Val said. “I didn't send an invite, because I knew you'd just toss it out, but if you want to come. . .”

Jon chuckled incredulously. “Why would I want to watch you marry the neighbor?”

“I don't know.” Val chuckled, too, like it was all a cute inside joke, but the laughter ended swiftly. “I miss you, Jon.”

The words struck Jon like a cold fish against his face. 

She quickly clarified, “Not like in a _I wish we were still married_ way, but in like a. . . I really did love you way. There are parts of you that I still love. You were my best friend while we were together. I miss being able to talk to you.”

Jon heaved a long sigh, lifting his arm to scratch the back of his neck. First Robb, then Dany's parents, and now Val. . . What was this week he was having? Maybe it was his sympathy over Val's state, or maybe it was residual grace left over from his meeting with Robb, but Jon found himself telling Val the one thing he swore he would never say. “I forgive you.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, clearly having not expected that to be Jon's response. “Really?”

Begrudgingly, Jon nodded. “I mean, I don't love you anymore. I don't miss you. I don't want to hang out with you and pretend you didn't betray me, humiliate me, and make me feel like my life was a sham. But, I don't want to hate you anymore. I'm trying to be happy, and it's been working out pretty well. Holding a grudge against you. . . that just wouldn't make me happy. So I forgive you, and I hope that you're able to be happy, too.”

Though shocked by his own grace, Jon felt a load of negative energy leave him in that moment. He felt better. Almost good. But then Val began to cry, and suddenly Jon was back to feeling awkward and uncomfortable. 

She cried thick tears into her palms without care of being in a public store. She drew the attention of others in the isle who looked at them oddly. Jon grimaced. Tentatively, and with much force of will, Jon stepped forth and put his arms around Val loosely, allowing her to cry against his shoulder. 

The baby woke up not long after Val's fit began. Thankfully, it was a distraction that caused Val to avert her energy onto soothing Chloe, who began to cry as well. Val had to scoop the tiny thing up into her arms and rock her back and forth while murmuring some nursery rhyme Jon never learned. He ended up helping Val with the rest of her shopping, deciding it would be cruel of him to ignore anyone so frazzled and distraught. 

When they were both through the check out line, Jon walked with Val to her car and put her grocery bags into the trunk while Val situated Chloe's carrier in the car seat base. 

“Jon?” Val asked when it seemed like Jon was readying to head to his own car. “Can I ask you something?”

“Okay.”

“At the hospital. . . I was talking to Dany, and she asked me something really weird.”

“Okay. . .” Jon cocked an eyebrow. 

“She asked me, like, if, when we were together, if you ever. . . tied me up and spanked me, or something.”

The color washed from Jon's face, his eyes widening. So far, his and Dany's private dynamic had been kept _private._ He hadn't planned for a scenario in which he would have to casually speak about it with another person, let alone with Val. “She asked you that?” he asked. 

“Yeah. . . Is that what you two do? Is that what you've been into this whole time?”

It felt like the atmosphere warmed twenty degrees in a single second. The question wasn't accusatory. More curious. Perhaps that's why Jon chose to answer honestly. “Uh. . . me and Dany. . . um. . . we connect on many different levels, one of those levels being. . . a very specific sort of. . . sexual. . . powerplay.”

“So. . .” Val's dark blonde eyebrow rose, “you dominate her?”

“I don't think we should be talking about this.”

Val laughed, taking Jon's non-answer for an affirmative. “Well, that certainly explains why we could never fully satisfy each other.”

Jon asked what she meant with a confused expression. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to what Val got from the neighbor that she hadn't gotten from Jon. It wasn't as if Val ever asked Jon to do things which he was unwilling to provide. But maybe Val distrusted Jon with her fantasies the same was Jon distrusted her with his. 

Val shut the backdoor to her small SUV, and before circling to the driver door, she sent Jon a small smirk and said, “The _neighbor_ is my submissive.” 

Jon couldn't control the utterly stunned expression that whipped across his face as he watched Val get into her car. He was so shocked he laughed all the way to his own. Val had always been headstrong, direct, and even aggressive at times, but he never suspected she wanted to dominate men sexually. _So that was what she was doing while I was at work!_

Somehow, in a very strange and slightly disturbing way, this new information made Jon feel better about the whole situation. It further proved to him that he and Val just weren't right for each other. They were pieces to completely separate puzzles. Jon had to fight the urge not to text Dany immediately with the news. 

But he would tell Dany as soon as she returned from her appointment. It was the right thing to do after all – to disclose to his current partner that he had somehow ended up hanging out with his ex-wife for half an hour. 

Dany had come home still wearing a hopeful smile. 

“Hey, beautiful,” Jon said as he put their groceries away in the fridge and pantry. “How was your thing?”

“Good,” she sweetly replied, draping her purse on a dining chair. 

“You still don't want to tell me what it was?”

“I'll tell you soon. You still don't want to make me tell you?”

“Nope,” Jon answered with a smile her way. 

While Jon finished up his duties, Dany went straight to the bedroom to change into her “uniform.”

Once stripped to her panties and tucked inside one of Jon's long sleeve tees, Dany joined him in the kitchen and perched herself atop the granite peninsula. The cool stone chilled her butt. She asked him how his shopping went.

“I got you more soup,” he answered. He put the last of his haul into the pantry, then walked between Dany's parted knees and draped his arms around her waist, “and the maple syrup you like.”

“Not the light kind?”

“Not the light kind.”

She sighed happily. “I know it's better for me, but the light kind is gross.”

“I know.”

She leaned down and pecked Jon's lips. “Thank you, honey.”

“Full disclosure. . .” Jon began, “I ran into Val at the store and talked to her for a bit.”

Dany settled her arms around Jon's neck. “Okay. Was it weird?”

“Extremely. She had her baby with her. The teeniest baby I think I've ever seen. And she looked a total wreck.”

A smile stretched across Dany's face. “So that's why you were talking to her. You do hate to see a people in distress. It's one of the things I love about you.”

“So, you're not upset at all?”

“No. It's not like you would ever want to cheat on me, and especially not with Val. So, why would I be upset?”

“I told her I forgave her.”

Dany nodded slowly. “Do you forgive her?”

“I don't know. But, I want to be done with that drama. I don't want it to be part of my life anymore.”

Dany responded to that by curling her legs around Jon's hips and hugging him tight. 

“She said you told her about us,” Jon said with a slightly mischievous tone. 

Dany leaned back and looked questioningly at him. “What?”

“She said that, at the hospital, you told her I dominate you.”

Cheeks turned red and eyes widening, Dany stuttered out a bashful response, “Well, I mean – I was just – See, I was – It was a very confusing time for me--”

“You wanted to know if I had ever done with her what I do with you,” Jon articulated for her. “I never did. I never even told her it was something I wanted. Honestly, whenever I'd fantasize about doing it with anyone, I'd usually think of you.”

Dany's heart fluttered, and her embarrassment turned to joy. She'd already surmised that she was the only woman to submit to Jon, but it brought her so much peace to hear it from his mouth. 

“You know what I found out, though. . .” Jon smirked, excited to finally spill the gossip. “She told me that she's been dominating the neighbor.”

Dany's body jerked back from the random and surprising factoid. Her smile turned to a comical grin. “Didn't you say that dude is like fifteen years older than her?”

“He likes to be dominated by younger women apparently.”

“Wow,” Dany breathed. “I mean, Val does come off as very intimidating, so I guess it's not so surprising. But, what do you think she does with him?”

“I don't know, but I'm envisioning, like, a strap-on situation.”

Dany gasped, and it soon turned to snickers. “Well, you know. . . I've heard that prostate orgasms can be very intense, so I would understand if you ever wanted me to. . .”

Shaking his head, Jon reached his hand under Dany's shirt and pinched her nipple. “The only one of us getting fucked in the ass is you, little girl.”

Dany released a small moan and reflexively pushed her breasts toward Jon's warning touch. “Tonight?”

Slowly, Jon released her nipple and soothed the sensitive nub with his thumb. “Soon.” Her ass was the one hole Jon hadn't fucked yet, and he had been preparing her for such an event for some time now, introducing her virgin hole to his fingers and small plugs. She adored the sensation, so Jon had faith she would enjoy anal sex, but he wasn't ready to take her all the way there yet. 

“Jon. . .” Dany's disposition turned sober. “When will you propose to me?”

“When I get you a better ring.”

She whined. “I told you, I don't want a better ring.”

“Well you don't make the rules, Daisy. I do. And if I want you to have another ring, I'm going to get you another ring.”

Dany pouted softly, but her pussy enjoyed his firm tone. 

Jon took Dany's left hand from behind his neck and held it between them. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the silver band around her ring finger, once, twice, and so on – about a dozen little kisses. He then reconnected his gaze with Dany's and asked, “When do you want to get married?”

A bright smile slowly eclipsed Dany's expression. “Tonight,” she whispered. 

Jon laughed. “We can't get married tonight.”

“This weekend.”

“We can't get married this weekend.”

Dany's pout returned, but only for a few moments. It was soon replaced with a devilish smirk. “Well, I don't make the rules anyway. So how about. . . you set the date, and I'll see if I can make it.”

“Oh, you'll see if you can make it, huh?”

She nodded. 

In a sudden motion, Jon hooked his arms around Dany's waist and pulled her from the counter. She squealed and laughed as Jon carried her quickly to the bedroom. He climbed onto the mattress and dropped Dany in the center, immediately digging his fingertips into her sides and tickling her supple flesh. 

“Jon!” she squealed, wriggling about underneath him as she laughed heartily. 

“You'll see if you can make it, huh?” Jon repeated, straddling Dany's legs and jittering his fingers up and down her most ticklish areas. “I think I've been going too easy on you lately. I think you're becoming a little brat.”

Dany twisted and flung her head from side to side, cackling from the intense tickles. 

“What's a good punishment for brattiness?” 

Dany couldn't answer, too overcome. Her eyes watered she was laughing so hard. 

“You know what?” Jon ceased his tickling, granting Dany reprieve from the soft torture. “I don't think I want to punish you tonight. Sometimes, I like your brattiness.”

Dany let out another, natural giggle, smiling up at him with dreamy eyes. “Do you think its sexy?”

“Yes.” Jon leaned down and clamped his teeth over her bottom lip before sucking the pulp flesh into his mouth. 

Dany slid her hand down to palm Jon's crotch, feeling his hardening bulge before Jon could correct her behavior. He swiftly grabbed her wrist and pinned it to the mattress. 

“You are being very naughty, Daisy,” Jon warned, a smirk played upon his face. “If you keep this up--”

Before he could finish his threat, Dany grabbed his clothed erection with her other hand and squeezed the growing muscle. Jon hissed from her tight grip and sat up, grabbing her other wrist and pinning that one to the mattress as well. 

“What am I going to do with you?” he seethed, eyes wild with lust. 

“Spank me,” Dany eagerly answered. 

“You want me to spank you?”

She nodded quickly. 

In quick, forceful movements, Jon tugged off Dany's shirt and threw it across the room, then flipped Dany onto her belly. He took both her hands and pinned them behind her back, holding her wrists together with one hand while the other pulled off his tie. He bound her wrists tightly, and before he could even move off of Dany, she was shimmying her butt upward, swaying it seductively in front of Jon's face. When he rested his palms on her cheeks, she moaned in anticipation. 

“Daisy, Daisy, Daisy.” Jon shook his head. “I really have been going too soft on you. I might like a little brattiness, but you know how I feel when you beg.”

Dany whimpered as Jon left the bed, but when she saw him go through their toy box she grew excited once more. He pulled out a mid-sized buttplug and a bottle of lube. He also pulled out two clover nipple clamps, but they were so small that Dany didn't notice Jon pocketing them before he came back to the bed. 

He situated himself behind Dany and stared hungrily at her ass while he lathered his fingers with lube. He hooked another finger in the band of her thong and pulled it aside so that he could press his now-slick digit to her anus. She moaned against the comforter while he sunk his way past the tight ring of muscle until his entire finger was submerged within her channel. 

For a couple minutes, he simply massaged her walls, loosening her muscles and relaxing her passage while Dany moaned beneath him. When he was satisfied, Jon removed his finger and began to lube up the plug. He pressed the acorn tip to her anus and pressed forth. 

Dany gasped, this being a bigger plug than she was used to. It stretched her farther than she ever had been, but the pain shot directly to her clit. She quivered with arousal, and her reaction pleased Jon. The plug was big, yes, but it still was not as thick, nor nearly as long as Jon's cock. If she could handle this, then maybe next Jon could try fitting himself inside. But that would be for a reward night, and this was not a reward night. 

As soon as the plug was fitted completely within Dany's ass, Jon removed Dany of her thong, then told her to get up. 

Slowly, and without the use of her hands, Dany stood on her knees. 

“Turn around,” Jon commanded, and Dany obeyed. 

She was moaning just from the friction as she shifted herself around to face Jon. So much pressure. So much pleasure. She was so incredibly wet, her pussy dying to be touched in any way. Dany thought that if Jon merely flicked her clit she would come on the spot. 

But Jon had no intention of touching her clit. He pulled from his pocket the sliver nipple clamps, and Dany's eyes widened. Like the plug, the clamps would keep her agonizingly aroused, but would not stimulate her in such a way as to make her come. But, unlike the plug, the clamps came with a heavy dose of pain to mingle with the unfulfilled pleasure. 

_Why did I have to push him?_ Dany thought. She loved the clamps, but only for very short periods of time, and only when Jon was making her come while she wore them. Dany had a sinking suspicion Jon was not planning such an activity. 

With his hand under her breast, lifting it slightly, Jon opened one clamp and pressed it over her hard nipple, releasing his grip on it slowly until it was pinched firmly into Dany's flesh. She whimpered, as electricity rippled from her pained nipple to her pussy. Jon affixed the second clamp to the tip of her other breast, then took Dany's arm and guided her off the bed. 

They went into the living room and Jon commanded her to sit, but when Dany moved to the sofa, Jon stopped her. 

“No Daisy.” He scooted the coffee table aside and pointed toward the space on the rug between the sofa and TV. “Sit.”

Pouting, Dany lowered to the floor sitting on her knees with her butt dug against her heels. It added enough pressure to the stimulation from the plug that Dany let out a soft moan. Jon opened the cabinet under the TV and brought out an oven timer. 

_Oh no! Not the timer!_ Dany whimpered, blinking puppy dog eyes at him, pleading for his mercy. 

Jon twisted the dial on the timer, then set it on the TV stand directly before Dany. “Ten minutes,” he said.

Dany shook her head rapidly. It was too much. She wouldn't be able to stand it. She'd never had the clamps on for more than five minutes, and even worse, the shocks it gave her every time she moved ached her pussy like nothing else. 

“I'll be making us some dinner,” Jon said before resting his hand on Dany's head and giving her hair a few slow strokes. 

Dany leaned into the touch, savoring it before she would be left to endure her punishment. _He may not make me come, but at least he'll feed me after._

As Jon cooked up some spaghetti, he would often glance over at Dany to make sure she was alright. Sometimes, he would be met with Dany's pouty gaze, as if to say, “Look at me. I'm being a good girl. You can let me off early, can't you?” But other times, she would have her eyes glued on the timer, watching it slowly close in on the 0. 

It truly was torture. The pleasure caused by the plug and by the clamps made Dany shiver with arousal, but every shiver cause her breasts to jiggle, and each jiggle caused the clamps to jiggle as well, which only served to tug her nipples and send more shocks of pleasurable pain through her. She was a whimpering, moaning mess, completely overwhelmed with an agonizing adoration for the sensations coursing through her body. 

Jon was straining out the pasta when the timer reached 0 with a loud, buzzing ring. Dany jumped from the sound, her eyes going wide as she looked at Jon with glee. She was grinning through her pain, so excited for a reprieve. 

Wearing a proud smile, Jon left his cooking to shut off the timer. Dany was bouncing on her heels as he put the timer away, despite the shooting pains it caused to her tits. A couple of times there, Jon thought she would say the safe word. Part of him wanted her to, so that he could get to soothing her quicker. But he was in awe of her ability to withstand her punishment. 

“Are you ready to act like the good girl I know you are?” Jon asked, lowering to his knees before her and resting his finger and thumb on the clamp constricting her right nipple. 

Dany nodded vigorously. “I'm sorry, Jon,” she whined. “I'll be a good girl. I promise.”

Jon applies pressure to the clamp, pressing slowly to open the clasp. He knew this would be the most painful part of all, so he kept his other hand on her breast, massaging gently the soft flesh as blood flow rapidly returned to Dany's stretched nipple. A mangled cry left Dany's throat, akin to pure anguish, body jerking and arms tugging at her bindings. 

As soon as the clamp dropped to the floor, Jon attached his mouth to her sore nipple and washed the tender nub with his tongue, massaging it and her pinched areola as Dany choked on dry sobs. After a minute of caressing her nipple back to health, Jon removed himself from her breast and set about removing the second clamp. 

This one hurt even more. Dany shouted out a string a curse words, tears finally spilling down her cheeks, as Jon released her nipple. Again, Jon was quick to sooth her with his mouth. When the pain turned to a dull ache, and sobs turned to low groans, Jon leaned back but continued to massage her breasts with his palms.

“Are you okay, baby?” His voice dripped concern as Dany looked at him with a miserable frown. 

But then she nodded, and Jon was quick to press three kisses to her lips. “You're such a strong girl,” He said as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. 

Despite her sore breasts, Dany wanted nothing more than to crawl into Jon's lap and impale herself on his cock, but her bindings wouldn't allow for it. After a minute of sweet words whispered against her hair, and gentle rubs up and down her bare back, Jon informed Dany it was time for dinner. 

A whimper left Dany's throat. Sure, she was hungry. It was past the time she normally ate after all, but she would give up dinner to be fucked any day. Instead of standing, Dany flopped to the floor in an act of defiance and spread her legs. 

“Daisy,” Jon warned, stepping over her so she was laid between his legs. “I thought you were ready to act like a good girl. I can always put the clamps back on while we eat.”

Dany pouted deeply up at Jon, but when her eyes traveled downward, she noticed his cock was rock solid and straining against the fabric of his pants. She could make out the outline of it, prodding against the fabric. She licked her lips. 

“Come on, Daisy.” Not wanting to punish her further, Jon decided to bend down and pick Dany up under her arms. He lifted until she was standing, walked her to the table, and sat her down in her usual place. 

As Dany watched Jon fix them a shared plate of spaghetti and marinara sauce, Dany ground her butt against the wooden chair and moaned from the friction it caused within her anal passage. Suddenly, she got the bright idea to part her legs and lean forward. She gyrated against the chair hard enough that she could just barely feel the smooth wood against her clit. 

Jon saw this as he brought the plate to the table and shook his head with dismay. “What am I going to do with you?” 

He set the plate down and took his seat. Dany had stopped her ministrations as soon as Jon spoke and now looked at him with apologetic eyes. 

“You really love that new plug, don't you?”

Dany rapidly nodded. 

“What if I left it in you all night?”

Her eyes bugged, and she quickly shook her head. It was one thing to be mercilessly teased while Jon was present to grow hard and inwardly flustered during it. But to be kept her wanting while Jon slept, oblivious to Dany's condition? She wouldn't be able to take it. She'd have to say the safe word. 

“Please, no. Not while you're asleep,” she begged, even though it was against the rules. She trusted Jon would understand. “Don't ignore me. That's not punishment. That's being mean.”

Jon frowned, not at Dany's disobedience, but at his own thoughtlessness. He raised his palm to her cheek. “Okay, baby. I'll never do that. I promise. No ignoring you ever, okay?”

She nodded.

Jon leaned in and kissed Dany's mouth before whispering, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Jon grabbed her chair by the edge of the seat and tugged it across the floor til Dany's knees were pressed between his. Jon dug his fork into the pasta and swirled noodles around it until there was a decent bite to be had. 

“Open,” Jon instructed, and fed her the bite. 

He alternated between feeding a forkfull to Dany, then himself. Spaghetti was a generally messy dish, and Jon would admit to purposefully exaggerating the ratio of sauce to pasta in tonight's recipe, so Dany's lips and chin often caught dribbles of red sauce during her feeding. Sometimes, the sauce would drip onto her breasts and thighs. Each time there was a spill, Jon leaned in and swept his tongue over the area, cleaning her of the sauce while coating her in his saliva. When a few drops fell to decorate her pubic hair in red, Dany got a mischievous look upon her face, like she had been waiting for that to happen. 

Jon scooted his chair back, parted Dany's thighs, and pressed his mouth to her vulva, cleaning her of the sauce. He hadn't let his tongue stray to her puffy, needy lips, but his licks were enough to make Dany moan, and her aroma was enough to push a dribble of pre-come from the tip of Jon's cock, still trapped within his pants and underwear. 

When he leaned up, he gazed into Dany's eyes for a long while, trading a lustful stare, as if the first person to blink got to come first. Dany blinked rapidly, batting her eyelashes like she were a cartoon kitty. _My kitty,_ Jon thought. At least, he thought he had only thought it, but then Dany literally purred, and Jon wondered if he had spoken the words aloud. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, running through his mind all the various ways he wanted to take Dany right in that moment. Or maybe he could just jerk himself off right here and let Dany lick the semen from his cock. His eyes widened momentarily at the thought, and in a second he was unfastening his pants and pushing them and his underwear down his legs. He hadn't been wearing his shoes, so he simply kicked his clothes somewhere under the table, freeing his legs and his raging cock. It stood up, pointed at the ceiling. 

Dany's mouth watered at the sight, and she instinctively bent forward, thinking she would suck it. 

“Stay there,” Jon commanded her. “Sit up straight, open your legs, and watch.”

Tucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Dany did as Jon bid and trained her gaze on his lap. He gripped his cock, slick with natural lubricant, and stroked himself slow, then fast, then slow again. When he started to come, he halted his hand and massaged instead the collection of nerves just below his cock head, letting the seed spill like a gentle fountain down to coat his cock in milky white cream. Jon shuddered a series of moans, his eyes glued to Dany's body and her wet pussy, pulsing with arousal. 

When he was spent, he removed his hand and wiped it clean with a napkin off the table. “Go on, Daisy,” he instructed. “Lick me clean.”

Dany quickly obliged, sliding to her knees and falling between Jon's. She leaned forward and darted her tongue out to swipe at the fluids, a sweet dessert. She popped the tip of Jon's cock into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the stem. Without use of her hands, she wasn't able to do a very thorough job, but she tried her best, and that was all that mattered to Jon as he watched her lick him like an ice cream cone. 

_Fuck._ Even when she wasn't on her best game, Dany was too good. Somehow, Jon's balls remained tight and his cock twitched. He wasn't getting softer in Dany's mouth. 

“Shit,” he hissed, and Dany looked up at him with concern as Jon abruptly stood. He knelt and scooped Dany up under her arms and lifted her off the floor. Immediately, Dany wrapped her legs around Jon's hips and curved her back to rest her cheek upon his shoulder as Jon carried her quickly to the bedroom. 

He dropped her onto the mattress and climbed beside her, swiftly shoving a pillow under her hips to raise her pelvis up. It would take pressure off her arms that were still secured behind her back. He ripped his shirt off, buttons tearing, and tugged off his undershirt til he was as naked as Dany. 

Her eyes were wide, lips parted, body trembling as Jon seemed to lose his control. He pushed her thighs apart, pushed his hips forward, and quickly drove his cock into her pussy. Dany's eyes instantly rolled, and her head lulled to one side. Her back curved and her toes curled. Jon began to fuck her the way she always longed for him to. He fucked her with purpose, with urgency, with need and a powerful stamina. She was coming in seconds, crying into the air. 

Before she could even come down from the shock of such an immediate orgasm, Jon pulled out of her and flipped her onto her knees, face pressed against the mattress and butt high in the air. She felt the butt plug shift inside her, and realized Jon was readying to pull it out. 

“Take a deep breath,” he said, but before Dany could process the words, Jon was slowly tugging the plug free from her anal passage. She heard the silicone drop to the floor, then felt something new press against her anus. “I'm going to fuck your ass, baby,” Jon warned as he prodded his cock against the muscle ring in short pulses. 

Dany released a drawn out moan. 

Even in his urgency and lust fueled delirium, Jon refused to press forward without asking, “Is that okay?”

She moaned again, head nodding against the comforter. 

“Yes or no?” he demanded. 

“Yes!” 

Jon pushed his hips forth, slowly digging his cock through the tight ring. Dany was groaning and shivering as he drove his cock, slick with Dany's come all the way inside her tight, lubricated channel. The constriction around Jon's cock was otherworldly. When her anus pulsed around him he thought she would squeeze the come right out of him. He pulled out just as slowly. He reached for the lube that still lay on the bed from earlier and squeezed a healthy amount into his palm. When only his cock head remained inside her, Jon slathered the stem in lube, then gripped Dany's hips and slid himself back in. 

Dany mewled, drool dribbling past his open mouth to wet the comforter. 

“Are you okay?” Jon asked through a low groan as he steadied himself inside her to the hilt, his ball resting against her labia. 

“Yes,” Dany whimpered, like she was crying. 

“How does it feel?” 

“So fucking good,” Dany moaned, and that was all Jon needed to hear. 

He didn't fuck her like he'd just fucked her pussy. He couldn't even if he wanted to. Even with the added lube, she was still extremely tight. So Jon opted to slowly gyrate his hips against her ass, moving his cock inside her about an inch inward and out, but that was enough to edge him closer to a second orgasm, and he could tell Dany was coming completely undone beneath him. 

He dipped a hand down between Dany's thighs and found her clit. As soon as his fingers brushed the swollen nub, Dany's hips bucked, causing Jon to inadvertently drive his cock into her in a sharp thrust. Jon immediately yelped, and all Jon could do was rub her little clit and make her buck against him some more. 

Dany came hard between Jon's hand and his cock, and her tits rubbing against the cool fabric below. She was sobbing into the comforter by the end of her orgasm. Jon stilled himself inside her. He quickly untied Dany's wrists, pulled himself from her ass, and turned her onto her back. 

Still trembling and mewling softly from the aftershocks of her pleasure, Dany watched with half lidded eyes as Jon sat between her parted thighs and jerked his cock until it erupted in thick ribbons against her vulva, coating every part of her pussy. His body convulsed the way it never had before, and when he was spent, he collapsed beside her, chest heaving as he sucked in deep ragged breaths. 

Dany found his hand without needing to look away from his face, and brought it to her lips, kissing the gold of his ring. Eventually, Jon's eyes fluttered open and he blinked at Dany thoughtfully. 

“Are you okay?” she whispered. 

A sleepy smile stretched across his face. “I think that was the best sex I've ever had in my life.”

Dany giggled softly. “I can't believe you were in my ass.”

“Oh my God,” Jon groaned, turning over and smothering Dany with his body. He wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled his face against her neck, tickling the skin with his nose until she laughed. “That was fucking incredible,” he said. “Your ass. . . Oh my God.” He leaned up, looking Dany earnestly in the eyes. “You know I love your pussy more than life itself, but your ass. . . Fuck, Dany. I didn't think it was possible to be more in love with your body, but here we are. Holy shit.”

Dany grinned ear to ear. She'd never seen Jon so thoroughly. . . _fucked_ before. 

“Well, you better be ready to take care of me this weekend, because I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow,” Dany said. 

“Fuck. . . I don't think _I'm_ gonna be able to walk tomorrow.” His eyes flitted down to Dany's chest. “How are your nipples, baby? Are they okay?”

“A little sore, but they still love you.”

Jon leaned down and pressed chaste kisses around one pink areola, then the other. “I was worried ten minutes had been too much.”

With a soft, post-coital sigh, Dany replied, “Clearly, it was just enough.”

* * * * *

After a long shower together, ice cream for dessert, and tight cuddles in the darkness of their bedroom, Dany slipped out of bed while Jon slept and limped into the living room where she'd left her laptop on the loveseat. Sitting gingerly her naked and aching bottom upon the cushion, Dany composed a letter to the partners.

It took Dany a half hour to finish writing her letter of resignation. She saved it to a thumb drive, deciding to print it out at the office Monday morning before anyone else arrived. And before lunch, she would present a copy of the letter to Tywin and Robert, giving her two weeks notice in person. 

She would tell Jon of it after the fact. Til then, Dany closed her laptop, hobbled back to bed, and tucked herself against Jon's warm, sleeping form.


	19. Chapter 19

**FEBRUARY, 2020**

“You what?!” Jon asked, eyes wide with confusion and concern for Dany's mental state. “You're messing with me.”

“I'm not,” Dany promised. While Jon looked like he had been smacked by a truck, Dany was all smiles. She had been incredibly anxious going into Robert's office to deliver her letter to both him and Tywin. She had been texting with Missandei about it all morning to help calm her nerves, since she didn't want to tell Jon yet. But she did it. She marched right in, handed each of them a signed copy of her letter, and explained to them that she didn't believe Lannister & Baratheon was a good fit for her anymore. 

They were not happy. They were in the middle of a huge class action case that Dany was heading. “Theon is more than capable of taking over as first chair at the trial,” Dany assured them, though she was not really so confident in the young man. 

As Dany relayed the story to Jon as they sat at their usual table at Green Leaf over lunch, Jon looked as if she was describing an alien abduction. But Dany had never felt freer or more proud of herself. 

“I don't understand,” Jon said. “You were doing so well at trial. You were getting over your fears. I watched you. You were—”

“It isn't about the trial,” Dany replied. She was bouncing slightly in her seat, still energized with the endorphins tendering her resignation produced. “It was what my dad said about me being able to have you fired—”

“Dany, I don't care about that. I've told you a hundred times--”

“No, Jon,” Dany interrupted. “I didn't quit because I can have you fired. I quit because I can't.”

Jon's eyes squinted with confusion. “You want to have me fired?”

“No, honey.” Dany smiled at his concern. “But, I should be able to. I'm basically your boss, but they all treat me like I'm an intern. No one respects me there. I was hired because the partners thought I was a novelty. A twenty-two year old attorney? I must be a genius! But my dad was right. I'm not a genius. I just studied and studied my whole life, never doing anything else. I didn't graduate Harvard early because I'm a savant. I just took a bunch of Winter and Summer term classes because I was stuck on campus with nothing else to do while my parents traipsed the world without me. They treat me like some freaky smart child. Well, I'm not a child. I'm a grown woman. And I'm not a freak, but I am smart, and I'm good at my job. I deserve to be respected.”

“Of course you do,” Jon emphatically agreed. “But, do you have anything else lined up? Have you sent your resume out to other firms?”

Finally, Dany's expression flashed with more pride. “Actually, that's where I was Friday evening. I got a new job.”

Jon's disposition shifted. “Well, why didn't you lead with that? That's awesome.”

“Senior Counsel.” Dany beamed. “I'll have hiring and firing abilities. I'll have say over what clients we take and don't take. I'm actually _wanted.”_

Jon smiled, reaching his hand across the table and taking Dany's. “That sounds really great, Dany. What about salary?”

A flash of hesitation flashed across Dany's face. “I'll be getting one.”

Jon cocked an amused eyebrow. “Well, I should hope so if the goal is to _not_ be treated like an intern. I'm guessing it's less than what you're making currently?”

“It's um. . . a little more than, about, half.”

Jon choked on air. “Half? Did you say half?”

“A little _more_ than half.”

Jon released Dany's hand and pulled out his phone, going to the calculator and doing the same equations Dany had done in the presence of her new boss. After a couple minutes and an ever shifting facial expression, Jon put his phone away, looked at Dany and said, “Okay. We can make it work.”

The smile returned to Dany's face. “Really?”

“Yes,” Jon assured, sharing her smile. “As long as you're happy, that's what's most important. And we're a two income family now. So, everything's going to be okay.”

_Family._

“You were really that unhappy?” Jon asked when Dany was too caught up in the magic of the word to speak.

She released a sigh. “I thought it was my fault. That I was just incapable of commanding respect, but that isn't true. I don't know if it's because I'm a woman or not, but most of the people in that office seem resolved to disrespect me, no matter what I do. And I was never going to make partner. They would have made you partner before they made me partner.”

“Harsh.” He slid from his booth bench and rounded the table to slide into the bench beside Dany. He twisted to face her, arm draped over the back of the booth behind her shoulders. “I'm glad you quit.”

Dany eyed him skeptically. “You are?”

“Yes. Fuck them. They don't deserve you. I wish I could quit, too, but we're gonna need all the cash we can get now. Our rent is not cheap.”

“I was thinking. . .” Dany blushed, “is next month too soon?”

“Next month?”

“To get married.”

Jon cocked a smirk. “One month isn't a lot of time to plan a wedding.”

“I don't want a wedding.”

Jon's eyebrows furrowed. “How are we going to get married without a wedding? Please don't say the courthouse. There's something unsettling about getting married where I work. And I have seen too much in that building for it to ever be romantic.” 

“I guess what I meant is that I don't want to plan a wedding.”

“You want me to plan it alone?”

Dany laughed. “I mean I don't want a big production. I just want to do it. I want to be your wife.”

“What, like Vegas?”

Dany's eye brightened. “Sure. Why not? I've always wanted to go to Vegas.”

“I'd like to think I can give you something better than Vegas.”

“I don't know,” Dany sweetly said. “We could get another hotel room, do some gambling, go to a few clubs, get drunk, and dance. Get matching tattoos. We could go to the Titanic exhibition!”

Jon chuckled. 

“We could go hiking. I know how much you love that,” Dany said with a bat of her eyelashes. “We could even go camping.”

“You hate camping.”

“How do you know? It's not like anyone has ever taken me before. Maybe I'll love it. And even if I don't, at least I'll have you to cuddle with in the sleeping bag.”

“Hmm,” Jon contemplated. “I don't know if I can swing next month with everything I've got going on. But. . . We could probably do a week in May, close to your birthday. How does that sound?”

“Really?” Dany's smile widened.

Jon returned her smile. “If you're really ready to be my wife.”

Dany threw her arms around Jon, hugging him tight. “I'm more ready to be your wife than I am to go camping.”

“Hey now,” --Jon kissed the side of her head-- “I don't care if we're at home, in a hotel, or out in the wilderness surrounded by creatures that could kill us. I'm still going to take care of you.”

“Mmm,” Dany hummed contentedly, melting in Jon's arms. “Does this mean I can call you my fiance?”

“You can call me whatever you want.”

Dany leaned back and cracked a small smirk. “Okay, daddy.”

All the blood washed from Jon's face. “You can call me anything you want, except that.”

Nose wrinkled, Dany agreed, “Yeah, forget I said that. It did feel a little weird.” A few soft kisses from her _fiance,_ and it was all forgotten. 

* * * * *

**MAY, 2020**

Despite the heavily circulated air within the Los Vegas MGM Arena, the atmosphere close to the floor was stifling from the radiation of so much body heat. Doors to the venue had opened at six. The concert begun at seven, and by the time they had filtered through three opening acts, Dany's feet and legs were burning from standing so long in the general admittance section, right up close to the stage. 

The wait for the headliner was so long that Dany eventually gave up and plopped her butt right on the floor, desperate to give her lower extremities some relief. Jon cast a worried look down at her, but said nothing of the filth getting onto her jeans. He could tell she was losing steam, but they would be leaving soon, probably before the concert was through. 

Dany rested the side of her head against Jon's thigh and tucked her hand underneath his pant leg, holding onto his ankle while she rested. Reflexively, Jon's hand came to rest upon her head, caressing her hairline with his thumb. Neither he nor Dany cared how odd this might look to the strangers standing so close to them, or even to Missandei and Grey who stood just on the other side of Dany. But when Missandei cast her eyes down at Dany, Jon did become aware of how incriminating it may look to have Dany purring like a kitten against his leg while he pet her hair. 

But Missandei simply smiled and turned back toward her husband, comforted by Dany's unabashed public displays of affection that, until Jon, were so unlike her. In all the months that Dany had been with Jon, she never told Missandei that she was Jon's submissive. Still, it was hardly a secret. After all, Missandei always had a knack for reading Dany like a book. Naturally, Missandei had been concerned at first. She didn't want a repeat of Berkeley, in which Dany went overboard with her fantasies and wound up hurt, and she didn't want Jon taking advantage of Dany either. 

Jon wasn't that sort of dominant, though, and Missandei saw that. She saw how Jon doted on her best friend, how he seemed so primarily concerned with Dany's well being above all else. Actually, it reminded Missandei a bit of how she and Grey treated Nathan, and perhaps that should have given her pause. But Dany, while so mature, had always had a childlike need for guidance and affection. For a while, Missandei had worried she would always have to fill that role in Dany's life herself, to constantly be ready to answer calls and texts when Dany was feeling scared or overwhelmed, to constantly be ready to provide shelter for Dany when she was too lonely to stay at her own apartment, to always have one hand free in case Dany needed someone to hold onto. Missandei loved Dany as the sister she never had, and she would do all of those things for Dany without question, but she would be lying if she said it was something she wanted. 

As much as Missandei adored Dany, she didn't have the desire, nor the long-term energy, to take care of Dany in the way she so consistently needed it. Jon did, though. He always did. Ever since Dany told her what happened in Maidenpool, as devastating as it was for Dany, Missandei knew that Jon was a good person, and that his affection toward Dany was real. When Jon showed up again in Berkeley, Missandei thought it was fate. The moment she saw Dany and Jon together with her own eyes at that dance club, she thought optimistically that it would be that way forever: Missandei and Grey, and Dany and Jon. It took a little while. . . but her prophecy was finally coming true. 

When the house lights faded and the stage lights brightened, the crowd went wild, and Dany sprung up from the floor with renewed vigor. She and Missandei jumped excitedly along with the masses, anxious for Niall Horan to take the stage. 

Jon and Grey were less interested in this genre of pop, but both enjoyed watching their significant others become consumed by a fangirl freak out. 

Periodically through the show, Jon checked his watch, and when it became clear that they didn't have time to see Niall's full set if they were going to do everything on their nightly agenda, Jon leaned into Dany's ear and told her it was time to go. 

She pouted, but when Jon showed her the time on his phone, she regrettably agreed. _Damn it Niall. Why couldn't you have come out sooner?_

“We can stay if you want,” Jon offered. “We can just go straight from here to--”

“No, no. This is more important,” Dany assured before turning to Missandei and telling her they were leaving. 

“Do you want us to come?” Missandei asked.

“No. Don't worry. Just meet us there afterward, okay?” After a quick hug, Dany took Jon's hand and let him lead her through the tight crowd. 

Jon was happy to see that Dany was even more giddy about leaving the concert than she had been about attending. She dug herself into Jon's arms and kissed him until their Lyft arrived. They went to a boutique along the Strip, a sterile looking shop with white carpet and white walls. Along one wall was a collection of white garments. Along the other was a collection of black. 

The sales associate knew immediately why Jon and Dany had come in this evening. It was the same reason so many young and deliriously happy couples came in so late on a Saturday night. 

It was easy for Jon to pick out a suit. He wore one almost every day, though the one he selected was much sleeker. It took longer for Dany to decide what dress she wanted to wear on the night she married Jon. She wasn't a gown person, but she also wanted to look as special as the event was. The sales woman took a few options to a dressing room and helped Dany try them on. 

Jon waited outside, anxious to discover which Dany would choose. He wished he was in the dressing room with her, helping her into the outfit she would wear while agreeing to spend the rest of her life with him. But Dany wanted to surprise Jon at least a little bit. 

And boy was Jon surprised. . . 

When Dany stepped out of the cubicle in the dress she fell in love with, Jon fell in love with Dany all over again. All in ivory white, the halter top was intricately embroidered with thousands of tiny silver beads and cropped at her waist to show a sliver of her tummy before a waterfall of chiffon circled her hips and legs, all the way down to her bare feet. 

“I'll find you some heels that will go perfectly with this,” said the sales associate with a sweet smile. 

“No heels, please,” Dany requested. “But if you have any sandals, that would be perfect.”

The sales associate gave a quick nod before disappearing into the back room where the shops stock of shoes lived. 

Alone together in a partially concealed nook at the back of the shop, Dany blushed under Jon's enchanted gaze. “What do you think?”

Jon stepped forward. “I think I'm the luckiest man in the world.”

Dany's smile stretched. “So you like it?”

“I love it.” He touched her chin, tilting her head upward so their eyes could meet. “You are so beautiful, Dany.”

Jon couldn't help himself from kissing her right then. Some would say it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. Some would extend that superstition to say it was bad luck to see the bride the day of the wedding, or even to see the bride's gown before the ceremony. But Jon didn't care about superstition. He'd done it all before anyway. 

With Val, Jon hadn't been allowed to come along as she tried on gowns with her sisters. He had been forbidden to touch the dress box that resided inside their closet. The night before the wedding, Val left to spend the night with her mother, and though they cheated and spoke on the phone the next morning, Jon did not see Val again until she was walking down the isle. 

They were married on a golf course, though neither of them enjoyed golf, but Jon supposed that wasn't the point. They were married outside, with the sun in their eyes. When Val would tell the story of their wedding to new acquaintances, she would coo about how Jon had cried when she walked down the isle. Jon never had the heart to tell her his eyes were simply watering from the sun's harsh rays stinging his irises. He didn't think such a small detail was important. What did it matter that he did not cry as they exchanged vows and rings in front of a hundred people Jon barely knew? He still loved her. He still wanted to marry her. It still felt right in the moment. 

Everything had felt right in the moment. Jon thought he was doing everything correctly. He was marrying a woman who made him smile, and who actually enjoyed having him around. He had proposed exactly one year after they had been living together with a ring that cost him exactly three of his meager paychecks. Jon didn't see the dress before the wedding. Jon didn't see his bride the day of the wedding. He'd wrote and rehearsed his vows over three weeks leading up to the ceremony. He'd introduced Val to all of his family, making sure they liked her even when seeing them like her made him resentful. He had met Val's family and charmed them into liking him enough to allow him to marry their daughter. And after the wedding, they had nice, normal sex for about twelve minutes start to finish before falling asleep for the first time as man and wife. 

It was perfect. Jon wanted everything to be perfect. He didn't just want a wife. He wanted a life partner. Someone to stay by him forever. Someone who needed him to stay by her in equal measure. He thought Val could be that person. Nothing had ever prevented them from being together. No one had ever disparaged their relationship. Val had never run from Jon, and she was never frightened of him. Jon would never hurt her, because he would never let her know the side of him that would only disgust her. He did everything right with Val, and yet marrying her turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes he'd ever made. Everything was perfect. A perfect lie. Val had never run from him, she only crept behind his back with another man. 

Perhaps Jon should have been less concerned with doing everything the right way, and more concerned with why he didn't cry when he saw Val walk down the isle. 

Hand in hand, Jon and Dany walked down the Strip in search of the chapel they had made an appointment with just a few weeks ago. Missandei and Grey showed up just before their appointment time, ready to bare witness to Jon's second wedding. And this time, as Jon stood at the indoor alter in front of a portly Elvis impersonator, his eyes shed real tears seeing Dany walked down the purple velvet isle to a piano rendition of _“I Can't Help Falling In Love With You.”_ It was not the sun, for the sun went down hours ago, and they were indoors to boot. It was all Dany. Her and her magic. 

When Dany was standing at the alter, gazing into Jon's glossy eyes, she breathed a timid, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Jon spoke back, swallowing down his emotions and taking Dany's hands into his own. “Are you ready?”

She chuckled softly through a wide smile. “You know I'm ready.”

With Missandei and Grey sitting in the small gallery, and the chapel owner twisted on the piano bench to join in watching the procession, Elvis did his thing, reciting romantic lyrics of his songs in lieu of a sermon. 

_Take my hand. Take my whole life, too._

“Would the lovely bride like to say a few words?” Elvis soon asked in his deep, whimsical tenor. 

When Dany's cheeks reddened, embarrassed even with such a small audience, Jon quietly said, “You don't have to say anything.” Dany did not need to prove to him how much more confident and unafraid she was now. This wasn't a venue to prove anything to anyone, not even to prove their love to their friends, Elvis, and the old woman who ran the chapel. This was a time for them to unite and be happy as themselves with each other. All Jon wanted out of this night was for Dany to be comfortable. 

But Dany disagreed with that philosophy. Commitment meant pushing herself to do the things she needed to do, even when the thought made her quiver anxiously. “No,” she replied. “I want to say something.”

Jon smiled, squeezing her hands in soft pulses. 

Dany compromised with herself by speaking softly, content for only Jon to hear her words. "I promise to be yours forever,” she said, “no matter what. I promise I'll always need you, and want you. I promise to always let you take care of me, and not to isolate myself from you. I promise to always be open with you about my feelings, to tell you when I'm hurting, when I'm scared, and when I'm confused. I promise not to be ashamed, and to always be proud of us. I promise to think of you always when I consider my life, because you are half of me. Without you, I'm someone I don't want to be. Lonely, anxious, and. . ." She had glanced at Elvis and blushed, "unfulfilled. It isn't because I will be your wife that I promise these things, though. I've already made these promises, even if I've never spoke them out loud. I don't need to be your wife to love you unconditionally, Jon. I just really want to be your wife while loving you unconditionally."

Jon couldn't stand it anymore. He released Dany's hands and instead wrapped her up in his arms, hugging her tight and pressing his mouth to her cheek, kissing her until she was giggling softly against his shoulder. She leaned back and met Jon's next series of kisses with her own mouth. 

“Woah there,” Elvis protested merrily. “No cutting to the chase now, kids. I'll tell you when it's time to kiss.”

They separated, both blushing. 

“Now, does the groom have anything he'd like to say?”

“Yeah,” Jon readily replied, looking lovingly into Dany's round, ocean eyes. He hadn't prepared anything, but that didn't matter. He did not need weeks of writing, re-writing and rehearsing to know what to say. He had all the words already in his heart. 

"I knew I was meant to be with you when I was seventeen years old,” he told his bride. “It took a while, but I finally got to put that theory to the test and discover once and for all that I'd been right. I was made for you, Dany, and you were made for me. I promise to love you and cherish you for as long as I live. And afterward, too. I promise that I'll always take care of you, and that I'll always take care of myself so that I can always take care of you. I promise to never be disappointed in you for things you can't control, and I promise to always forgive you when you make a mistake. I promise to love you even when I'm mad or depressed. I promise to never push you away when I'm embarrassed. I promise to never lead you astray, and to always put your well-being first. I promise to never hurt you, or abandon you, or ignore you. I promise to always give you what you need, even when it means sacrificing my desires. I promise to give my whole heart and soul to you, to trust you, and to love you forever. I mean, marrying you is already the best thing I've ever done."

Dany's chin quivered as a tear leaked past her eyelid, and Jon carefully swiped it away with the pad of his thumb. They said their ritualistic “I do's,” re-exchanged their rings, and when Elvis pronounced them man and wife, Jon took her into his arms again and kissed her fiercely without qualm. Nine months ago, Jon had been lost. Now, it was as if he held the whole world against his chest, pressed tight to his thumping heart. 

* * * * *

Unaccustomed now to staying up so late, Missandei and Grey bid the two newlyweds goodnight and congratulations before heading back to their hotel room. They would be flying back to LA in the morning, desperate to get back to their little one and to let Dany have her honeymoon fun without them hanging around. 

The first thing Jon and Dany did after their friends left was to go get new rings. As much as they both adored their commitment rings, they both felt they needed something extra special to commemorate this night. When Dany had said they should get matching tattoos in Vegas, it had been mostly in jest, but the joke soon manifested in a genuine and shared idea that if they were so determined to belong to one another, why not wear rings they could never remove? 

Side by side, and still in their wedding clothes, they got their commitment inked permanently onto their flesh in thin black bars circling their respective ring fingers. They would have to keep their physical rings off while their skin healed, but that was okay. It was never about silver or gold anyway. 

They were staying at Treasure Island, the hotel and casino with the giant pirate ships out front. Despite a hunger to consummate their marriage, all the flashing lights and pop music pumping through the overhead speakers were infusing Dany with the urge to stretch out this night of festivities. 

“We never danced!” Dany exclaimed, giving Jon's arm a tug as he moved toward the elevators. 

“Danced?” 

“Our first dance.” She tugged his arm again, pulling him back into the casino and toward the music, following it like trout downriver. She followed it to the center of the casino, between rows of penny slots, until they stood just below a circular speaker.

Jon laughed as Dany manipulated his hand to rest behind her back with the other secured in her palm. “You really want our first dance to be in the middle of a crowded casino to _West End Girls?_

“Yes,” Dany beamed. 

“As you wish, Mrs. Snow.” Jon brought Dany against him, their hips touching as Jon recalled enough of his dance lessons in preparation for his first wedding to lead Dany in a simple box step. 

Smiling contentedly, Dany rested her cheek to Jon's shoulder and moved her feet along with his simple movements. 

“How does that sound?” Jon quietly asked. “Mrs. Snow?”

“Mmm. Much better than Miss Targaryen. But I'd rather you call me baby.”

“I can still call you baby, even now that you're my wife?” 

“You better,” Dany warned. 

Jon stepped back to twirl Dany in a circle before pressing his lips to hers. 

As the song faded from Pet Shop Boys into Earth Wind and Fire, a waitress in a black sequence cocktail dress appeared beside them with an amused expression, no doubt curious as to why such a dressed up couple was waltzing between the slot machines. “Can I get you two anything from the bar?” she asked kindly. 

“Um. . .” _Tempting. . ._ Dany glanced back and Jon before answering, “No, no. We're okay.”

When the waitress was gone, Dany turned back to her new husband and was met with a small smirk. “You can get something if you want,” he told her.

Dany lowered her voice. “But if I want my husband to fuck me before the sun comes up, I have a feeling I should refrain.”

Jon chuckled. “I think that, in light of recent events, rule number one can be amended a bit.”

“Oh?” Dany's brows wiggled. “Because I could really go for some champagne.” 

“Well, then champagne is what my baby is going to get.” Jon pecked Dany's smile and told her he would fetch them both a drink. “Why don't you try and win us some money?”

Dany tossed Jon a wink before he turned to run his errand. Dany had never gambled before, and so the idea made her jittery with mischievous excitement. Silk chiffon fluttered around her legs as she slowly snaked around the rows of machines until she found a vacant one that gave her good vibes. When she sat, the machines to her left and right were vacant, but as she searched quizzically for a slot to put her coins in, she felt the air to her right shift, and there was an older man sat on the stool beside her. 

“You need some help there, little miss?” a gruff, but kind voice asked. 

Startled, Dany jumped slightly and raised an eyebrow at the man. _Little miss?_ The man looked to be Tywin Lannister's age, white hair slicked back with a gray mustache. Broad shoulders and a fat belly. He had a slight Southern accent to him, which was made more noticeable by the bolo tie cinched under the collar of his white dress shirt that was tucked into dark wash Levis. 

“I, uh, don't know how to use this thing.”

The man leaned over and tapped a finger against the paper money slot. “These things stopped taking coins a long time ago. Each dollar you put in gives you two pulls.”

Dany dug into her purse, but by the time she tugged out her wallet, the man with sliding a twenty into the slot on her behalf. “Oh! That's – You shouldn't have.”

“Don't worry. I came here specifically to lose all my money. It would be a shame if the sun were to rise before my pockets were empty.” The older man smiled pristine teeth that Dany had a hard time believing were wholly authentic. “You here by yourself, darling? Gosh, you remind me of my daughter when she was younger.”

“Aww, that's sweet,” spoke Dany, though wary of the man's generosity. A small screen on her machine flashed 40 pulls. “I'm not so young, though.”

“How old are you?”

“I turned twenty-seven today. Well, yesterday actually.” It was after midnight now, after all. 

“Well, when you're my age, twenty-seven is a mere child.”

Dany smiled and turned her attention back to trying to figure out the machine. There was a lever on the side, reminding her of the old cartoon depictions of tugging hard on a lever to make the pictures on the big screen spin. But when Dany pulled on the lever, it wouldn't budge. 

“Those things are just for show nowadays,” explained the older man, watching Dany bemusedly. He showed her a simple button to press. 

“Oh!” Dany chuckled and pressed the button. She felt like Charlie walking into the Chocolate Factory as the machine chimed out a hyper jingle and flashing lights directed her attention to the spinning images on the screen. First a sun, then a rainbow, then a chest of gold. “What does this mean?” Dany asked aloud. 

The man answered. “Nada, darlin'. You need to get all three images matching. But now, if you get three of those gold chests, you win ten thousand dollars.”

“Ten thousand?” Dany suspected the chances of actually spinning three chests of gold was less than the chances of finding a real life leprechaun, but she decided to revel in the possibilities with optimism. She continued to press the button, watching the images spin and come up with all sorts of happy pictures, though none of them ever matched. 

“Don't worry. You'll get something,” the man assured, but Dany went through all forty pulls in a matter of minutes, and when all twenty dollars were used up on such short lived entertainment, Dany had nothing to show for it. 

“I'm sorry,” she told the man with sincerity. 

“Don't be! It was worth the twenty just to watch you have fun.”

Dany chuckled with a mixture of flattery and awkwardness. “Well, thanks for taking a gamble on my gambling abilities.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Say, I don't reckon I got your name.”

“Dany,” she replied, reflexively extending her hand and giving the man's a cordial shake. And, _just because,_ she added, “Dany Snow.”

“Dany Snow? Well, ain't that a precious name. Sounds like you should be one of them Disney princesses.” 

Dany smiled wide, more amused than flattered now, as it was becoming more and more clear that this seventy-or-so year old man was flirting with her. “Thanks. And, uh, your name?”

Leaning forward and lowering his voice an octave, the man answered, “Oh, well, my friends just call me Big Daddy.”

Dany snorted, cheeks red from stifling her laughter. “Big Daddy? I would love to hear how you got that nickname.” 

“That's a long story, Dany Snow, but perhaps if you'd allow me to buy you a drink, I can tell you all the stories you'd like.”

“I'm actually already waiting on an order.”

“Well, hows about when your drink arrives, we take it on up to my suite. You can see the entire Strip from the balcony. An enchanting sight. I'm sure you'd love it.”

“I'm not going up to your room.”

“I thought you wanted to know how I got the name Big Daddy.”

“I'm starting to get the picture,” Dany laughed. “But, I'm still not doing it.”

The man released a sigh, seeming to accept Dany's rejection. But then he came back with, “I'm a very generous man, darlin', and you look like a girl who could appreciate a bit of generosity. . .”

Dany spotted Jon making his way toward her with two flutes of champagne in his hands, and she got a flutter of excitement in her gut at the prospect of Jon saving her from this creepy old man. 

“. . . I've got five hundred dollars in chips up in my room. How's about after we have some fun together, we take that out and try to win you some real money?”

Dany's attention immediately snapped back to the man, eyes widening. _Have some fun?_ “Are you offering me five hundred dollars to have sex with you?”

The man chortled. “I didn't want to be so blunt, Miss Snow, but I do think that amount would warrant a little more than a meaningful conversation.”

“It isn't Miss Snow,” Dany stated, tone losing all humor. Being hit on by an old man was funny, but being propositioned like a prostitute by an old man was where the joke died. “It's _Missus_ Snow.” She held up her left hand where the fresh ink stained her ring finger. 

Jon was beside her a moment later. 

“Here, baby,” he said with an air of suspicion as he handed Dany a glass. He noticed Dany's cross expression, and likewise noticed the stranger speaking with her. “Everything okay?” he asked his wife. 

Dany smiled up at Jon despite her anger, knowing everything was about to get much better now that her husband was here to rescue her. “Everything's fine, honey. This is Big Daddy,” she said, gesturing to the man. “Or. . . do you prefer Mister Daddy?” she asked him, then addressed Jon. “Well, either way, he has so generously offered me five hundred dollars to fuck me. What do you think about that?”

Jon blinked and turned to look at the man, but Jon's expression was much calmer than Dany had anticipated. She expected Jon to switch into a rage and smash the champagne flute against Big Daddy's head, but Jon was cool as can be. He nodded even as he slid his free hand to caress the back of Dany's neck thoughtfully. Not a bead of sweat tainted his palm. It was as if Dany had informed Jon that this man was simply looking for a new attorney. 

“Five hundred, huh?” Jon casually asked. 

“Well, um --” The man sputtered awkwardly. 

“You think my wife is only worth five hundred? Or, are you just cheap?”

“No, no, I, uh --”

“Because I think she's worth at least a grand.” Jon looked down at Dany. “What do you think, baby?”

Dany shared a long look with him, noticing the way the corner of his mouth lifted in just the faintest of smirks. “One grand?” She scoffed. 

“Too low? You're right. What about three grand?”

Dany set her champagne on the flat panel attached to the slot machine and folded her arms over her chest. “To fuck me? I'm worth at least five, and you know it.”

“Okay.” Jon nodded approvingly. He set his own glass beside hers and turned back to the old man who was now quivering with embarrassment in his seat. Jon wondered if the reason why the man hadn't up and ran yet was because he actually believed Jon would let him fuck his wife. It only made him angrier, which made him all the calmer as he said, “You heard her. Five grand.”

“Huh? I. . . Well--”

“You wanted to fuck her, right? That was your plan? She wants five grand.”

The man's eyes shifted from Jon's stoic stare to Dany's scrutinizing glare, both sets of eyes trained on the man, awaiting his answer. “I, um. . . I've got an AmEx.”

“AmEx?” Jon asked incredulously. “Does she look like a fucking Etsy store to you? Credit cards aren't gonna cut it, _Daddy._ Cash only.”

The man's eyes widened, his palms smoothing up and down his knees anxiously. “I'd have to go to an ATM.”

“Good.” Jon removed his soothing hand from Dany's neck and stepped close to the man, so close Jon loomed over him, his expression now bleeding disdain. “You go to the ATM, and when you get there, you can stick your old wrinkled dick into the fucking cash dispenser and fuck _that_ for five thousand dollars. Or, we can both head outside right now, and I'll fuck you for free.”

The man was slithering from his stool before Jon could close his fist around his collar. Jon watched as he hurried away, pretty fast for such an old guy. When Jon turned back to Dany, she wore a pleasured smirk, and she sipped her champagne delightfully. 

Jon sat in the stool vacated by Big Daddy and studied her suspiciously. "What was that all about?"

"Just a creep being a creep," Dany replied.

"Then why do you look so seduced?"

Dany shrugged innocently. "Maybe I just find it sexy when you threaten creeps for me."

"Hmm." Jon nodded slowly, taking his own champagne glass and having a sip. "And was it just luck that you got to watch me threaten him, or did you have a little hand in it?"

"I don't know what your talking about."

"Well, if that guy was really just preying on you, then you're a very good girl for telling me right away so that I could take care of it. But, if you were intentionally flirting with him so that you could watch me threaten him, then you're a very naughty girl who needs to be taught a lesson."

Jon's words manifested in tingles up Dany's thighs. But her devilish look subsided. Despite her longing to be taught that lesson, Dany could not bring herself to even jest about flirting with another man, especially now that she and Jon were married, and especially given Jon's history with adultery. 

She reached her hand out and held Jon's knee. "I promise, I wasn't flirting with him. He was nice, until he was just gross.”

“I believe you.” Jon rested his hand atop hers. “And, for the record, you are worth way more than five grand.”

“Yeah?”

Jon nodded. “For your pussy? Shit. . . You're worth millions, baby.”

Dany cheeks pinked and her head turned about in a few quick glances to see if anyone surrounding them had noticed Jon's language. But, just as no one noticed Jon threatening that lech, everyone was intently playing their slots without a care in the world for anyone outside of their gambling bubble. She scooted forward on her stool, closer to Jon, and dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “What if he wanted to fuck my mouth. How much is that worth?”

“Like, a billion.”

Danny giggled silently before pressing her lips to her champagne flute and taking a slow sip, teasing her husband. Once she swallowed, she slid her tongue across her lower lip, then asked, “And what about my ass? How much is that worth?”

Jon shook his head. “Oh, Daisy. Jeff Bezos couldn't afford what your ass is worth.”

With another giggle, Dany stood and pressed herself between Jon's knees. She draped her arms around his neck. “Wow. . .” she began with a cocked brow. “A girl whose worth that much. . . It must be hard for her to find anyone worthy enough to have sex with.”

“Well, thankfully, she married me before she realized she can do way better.”

“Hm.” Dany leaned her mouth to Jon's ear. “I have a feeling that if someone that perfect married you, you must be just as perfect.”

“Me? Perfect? That can't be it.”

Dany pressed her lips to Jon's ear, kissing the cartilage softly. “Then maybe you just have a really amazing dick.”

Jon snorted and laugh. “Yeah, that must be it.”

Dany leaned back to cast her doey eyes down at Jon, blinking her long lashes and curving her mouth in a slight pout. “Well, I know you're married and all, but you see. . . I'm here in this casino all by myself, and some of these people look really scary. Do you think you could escort me to my room, to make sure I get there safe? I would really appreciate it.”

Jon straightened his back. “I think I can do that.”

“Your wife won't mind?”

Jon shook his head. “My wife is a very understanding person. I have a feeling she wouldn't want me to leave you down here all alone.”

With a sweet smile, Dany waited for Jon to stand, then hooked her arm around his so that he could escort her properly to the elevators. They left their nearly empty champagne glasses behind. 

They were two of five people taking the elevator up past the twentieth floor, which only made it more seductive when Dany turned to Jon and innocently said, “Sorry, I don't think I got your name.”

“Jon,” he answered, casting a small smirk her way. “And your name?”

“Daisy.”

“Daisy? That's a really pretty name.”

“Thank you.” The elevator doors slid open at the twenty-fifth floor. “This is my floor.”

“I'll walk with you,” Jon offered, resting his hand between her shoulder blades and leading her past their fellow elevator riders and into the hotel corridor. It made Jon hard knowing those strangers were assuming he and Dany just met and were about to have a one night stand.

All was silent as they walked through the hall, save for the soft patter of their shoes against the carpet underfoot. Dany dug her key card from her purse and halted at her door. “This is me,” she said.

“You're staying here all by yourself?” Jon asked. 

“Yeah. Well, actually. . . I was staying here with my boyfriend, but. . . he's not my boyfriend anymore.”

“Really? Did something happen?”

“He just didn't want to be my boyfriend anymore,” Dany explained. “It's going to feel weird, going in there without him and spending the night all by myself.”

“You don't like being alone, do you? If you'd like, I could come in with you and stay until you feel more comfortable.”

“That would be amazing. You're a real gentleman, Jon.” Dany used her key card to unlock the door and pushed it open. 

Jon wandered in and took in the room like he had never set foot in it before, eyes scanning the blue carpet and gold drapes, the king sized bed and white bedding, the dark wood furniture and the large mirror that hung upon the wall opposite the bed. “This is a nice room, but I see what you're saying. That bed is pretty big for just one person, especially a petite girl such as yourself.”

“I know,” Dany sighed. She sat upon the edge of the bed and gazed up at Jon, hands rested in her lap. The tips of her toes just barely brushed the carpet. “And I hate sleeping alone.”

“You boyfriend was a good cuddler, huh?”

“The best. But it isn't just the cuddles I loved. It was also how he would undress me before tucking me in, and how he would touch me under the covers before I fell asleep.”

Jon stepped close to her, brushing the backs of his fingers across Dany's shoulder, pushing a lock of hair behind her back. The small touch sent a shiver down Dany's spine, and when Jon asked his next question, she felt the words like breaths against her pussy. 

“Well,” Jon began, “I could undress you, if that's okay.”

Dany swallowed. “Your wife won't mind?”

Jon trailed his fingers along the hem of Dany's top, dipping underneath the fabric to feel the swell of her breast. “She would want me to take care of you,” Jon whispered. 

Dany watched with stars in her eyes as Jon knelt before her and unfastened one sandal then the other. He slid them both from her feet and set them aside. When he stood, Jon took Dany's hand and helped her to stand. He turned her around til her back faced him, and he pulled the zipper on her top. He unfastened the beaded chord around her neck and rid her body of the fabric. Carefully, he folded the top and set it on the dark wood dresser. 

For the first time in a long while, Dany raised her arms to her chest in a bashful attempt to conceal her breasts as Jon pulled down the zipper of her skirt. The silk chiffon cascaded down her legs to pool around her bare feet. Jon gathered it up and rested it on the dresser. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Dany's panties and slid the thin fabric down her legs. 

“Are you nervous?” he softly asked, resting his hands upon her hips. 

“A little,” Dany breathed, curling her toes into the carpet. 

Jon pried her arms from her chest and held them at her hips. “Why are you nervous?” he whispered into the hollow of her ear. 

A small squeak left Dany's throat as she felt Jon's bulge graze the top of her butt. She shivered as Jon's fingertips trailed their way back up her torso to trace her breasts. “I've never been with a married man before.”

Jon wet Dany's ear with his tongue, tasting the soft ridges of cartilage before playing with her earlobe between his lips. With a pleasured whimper, Dany tilted her head to the side, feeding Jon her ear. He kissed it like he was eating her pussy, until it was just as wet. 

Dany breathed heavily into the air conditioned room, eyes fluttering shut. Jon's mouth moved to her neck. Just as his tongue darted out to tickle Dany's flesh, his hand found her vulva, and a long finger dipped between her folds. 

“You are so wet, Daisy,” Jon breathed against her neck. His hot breath sent pulses down to Dany's clit. 

He brought the digit up to his mouth. Dany opened her eyes and watched with an aching lust as Jon sucked the arousal from his finger. 

“Fucking delicious.” He kissed her fully and returned his hand to her sex, hooking his wet finger into her tight channel. 

Dany melted in Jon's arms, whimpering softly between slow, wet, tender kisses. Ever so slightly, Dany rolled her hips between Jon's hand and his solid bulge until Jon was moaning into her mouth. When he dipped a second finger inside her pussy along with the first, Dany slapped a hand onto Jon's thigh and squeezed. 

“Relax,” he breathed before resuming their ardent kiss. 

Jon soon wore her pussy fully around two long digits, pumping them slowly within her channel. When his fingers were saturated with clear fluid, he fed them to Dany. She gagged when they hit the back of her throat, but Dany was a good girl. She quickly suctioned her lips around his fingers and massaged them with her tongue, lapping up her own secretions. 

“Tastes good, doesn't it?” Jon asked, and Dany immediately nodded. 

Watching Dany suck his fingers like she was blowing a cock made his own twitch in his slacks. He could feel himself leaking in minuscule amounts and was desperate to release himself to the open air. 

With his free hand, Jon unfastened his pants. “I want you to suck me,” he ordered Dany. 

Her eyes lit up, like Jon had just offered a starving girl a hot meal. She was on her knees in seconds, and as soon as Jon freed his engorged cock from his pants, Dany gripped gently the base and darted her tongue out to taste the bead of pre-come manifested at the tip of the thick mushroom head. 

“That's it,” Jon encouraged her timid ministrations, wanting her to take her time less he climax before any real fun could be had. While Dany soothed Jon's erection with her tongue, he removed his jacket and tie. He unbuttoned his shirt and tugged that off as well, followed shortly by his undershirt. 

Dany leaned back long enough for Jon to fully disrobe, and when he was as naked as she, Dany took her time gazing at as his firm body like it was the very first time. But Jon's hand was soon on the back of her head, bringing her back to her duty. Her mouth opened easily and Jon guided her down on his girth. 

Half way in, Dany's throat contracted and her eyes watered. Jon's hands gathered her hair up and gripped it at her scalp. “Look at me,” he commanded through a soft moan. 

Dany's eyes flitted upward, watching Jon's pleasured expression as he fucked her mouth. Drool crawled down Dany's chin. When Jon pushed his hips too suddenly, she gagged, but never did she stop caressing his length with her tongue, just as she had done to his fingers. 

“Fuck,” Jon groaned before pulling his cock from Dany's warm mouth. He released her hair and stroked the back of her head. “Spit on it.”

Dany's eyebrows rose, but she did not ask any questions. She leaned in and pushed a bundle of saliva past her lips, drizzling Jon's slick cock with it. She reached a hand up and rubbed the spit all around his length. She did it again. She did it until her mouth was dry and Jon's cock was dripping. 

“Look at me,” Jon demanded, a lustful urgency to his tone that caused Dany's thighs to quiver. When she met his stare, he instructed her to open her mouth. 

Dany did as she was told only for Jon to lean down and feed her his own saliva, letting the watery fluid dribble onto Dany's tongue and fill her mouth. Jon pushed his wet cock back into her mouth and gyrated his hips in short, quick thrusts. 

“Holy shit,” Jon grunted as he overwhelmed Dany's mouth with his size. “Your mouth is so hot, baby. Fuck, you're gonna make me come like this. I'm gonna come.”

Dany's throat vibrated as she hummed out an incomprehensible response, and moments later, she felt a warm fluid fill the hollow of her throat and coat her mouth. She immediately choked down what all she could, leaving the rest to spill down her chin as Jon fucked her through his orgasm. 

When he couldn't take her tongue and her suction any longer, Jon tugged her head back, allowing Dany to gasp in a breath of air and swallow down what all remained on her tongue. Being the devilish little girl she was, Dany reached up and grasped Jon's cock, milking every last drop of semen from the tip until Jon was hissing from so much stimulation. 

Climaxing did nothing to quell Jon's hunger. He quickly picked Dany up and plopped her on the edge of the bed. He dropped to his knees, pushed hers apart, and dove between her thighs. He attached his mouth to her pussy like it was his favorite dessert, because it very much was. Better than cake and ice cream combined. Dany was so worked up already that she was coming in less than a minute, hands fisted in the comforter, heels dug into the edge of the mattress, and a string of high pitched moans filling the room with orgasmic music. 

But Jon wasn't ready to move on just yet. His cock was anything but soft, but he still needed time before he could fuck her. So he kept his mouth on her through and after her orgasm, adding his fingers to the mix as he built within her a second climax. An expert at Dany's body now, Jon easily found her g-spot with the pads of his fingers and massaged it in quick strokes while he mercilessly devoured her clitoris. 

Dany dug her hands into Jon's hair, gripping his curls as her hips bucked upward, mangled moans coursing through her throat as a tear slid down her cheek. 

When Jon finally released her of his ministrations, Dany was left gasping and shivering upon the bed, skin shimmering with a sheen of sweat. Jon crawled on top of her and kissed her slowly, drinking her little whimpers and sighs. He'd use them as fuel for round two. 

“I'm gonna fuck you,” he murmured between kisses, earning him more whimpers, almost like Dany was dreading it. But the way her tongue sought his out, and the way her legs instinctively separated, told Jon she was still just as desperate as he was. Just to make sure, though, Jon pulled away from her mouth and asked, “You want me to fuck that tight, wet pussy?”

Another whimper. “Yes, Jon.”

Jon situated his hips under her thighs and prodded her entrance with his cock. “Tell me.”

Dany panted with excitement, chest heaving, legs shivering. “I want you to fuck me.”

Lips grazing Dany's, Jon whispered into her mouth, “Where?” 

When she licked her lips, she tasted Jon's as well. “My pussy.”

She gasped when Jon's cock pushed its way through her channel all in one heavy thrust, filling her in less than a second. She arched her back, rolled her hips, and cried. “Fuuuuuuck!”

Jon slapped Dany's tit with his palm, shocking her into a squeal of pleasure and pain. “No talking unless I tell you to,” he sternly warned before fucking Dany into the mattress with fast, quick thrusts. 

As if this treatment was not enough to unravel Dany for a third time, Jon brought her ever closer to the edge by pressing his mouth to her ear and filling her head with all the right words. “So wet. So tight. So fucking hot. You better come for me. Come on my cock like a good little girl.”

If Jon was the kerosene, he was also the match. Dany exploded. She screamed until Jon's hand clamped down on her mouth. He only removed it when Dany's orgasm had crested and she was left a panting mess of sweaty limbs beneath him. Jon removed himself from her channel and rolled onto his side beside her. 

Dany immediately turned into Jon's embrace, tucking herself against him and letting herself be consumed by him. She felt his wet and swollen erection slide against her abdomen. 

“Why did you stop?” she whispered, reaching between them to feel how engorged he remained. 

“It's going to take a little bit for me to come again,” Jon answered before kissing her head. “I didn't want to destroy your pussy.”

Dany giggled and looked up at him. “Don't worry. My pussy loves you.”

Jon pecked her lips. “I love you.”

Dany gasped. “What will your wife say?”

Jon smirked and kissed her again, deeper, and with a lazy passion. “Dany or Daisy, you'll always be my wife,” he softly spoke.

“That's right,” Dany proudly agreed. “So no spitting in anyone's mouth but mine.”

Jon's cheeks reddened. “Are you making fun of me, little girl?”

Grinning, Dany shook her head. “I liked it actually. No, if I wanted to make fun of you, I would bring up how you told that guy downstairs you were going to fuck him outside.”

Jon's brows furrowed. “Fuck him _up_ outside.”

“Yeah, but you didn't say _fuck him up._ You said _fuck him.”_

“Did I really?”

Dany nodded, a giggle written on her features. 

“Oops,” Jon laughed, clearly embarrassed. 

“Is there something you're not telling me, Jon?” Dany pushed him onto his back and straddled his lap. “You want to fuck old men?” She took his wrists and pinned them to the mattress before he could swat her butt. 

“You're the only person I want to fuck,” Jon assured with a small smirk. He pushed against Dany's hands without much force, creating a playful struggle between them. “Even when you're being a little brat.”

Dany leaned down, face inches from Jon's. “I think you want to fuck me _especially_ when I'm being a little brat.”

“I want to punish you when you're being a brat.” Jon used his true strength to free himself from Dany's grasp. He sat up suddenly, hooking his arms around Dany's waist and pressing her firmly against him. 

She gasped, filling with much lust and a dash of fear. Her pussy was nestled against Jon's erection and it took everything in her not to gyrate in his lap. 

“But. . . luckily for you, I didn't pack the clamps, and my belt is all the way on the other side of the room.”

Dany smiled and accepted a soft kiss, a reward for simply being _Jon's._

“Besides,” he murmured close to her lips, “the first time I come inside you as your husband, I want it to be while I'm making love to you.”

She knew she shouldn't have, but Dany was too mischievous for her own good. She cracked a small smirk and said, “Well, technically you already came inside me. It's all in my tummy.”

Jon squinted at her in his stern, warning way, but behind his frown was a noticeable playfulness that made Dany blush. In a low, authoritative voice, Jon ordered her to get her ass into bed and under the covers. Dany quickly complied, scurrying off of Jon's lap and burying herself in the King size bed. 

Once Jon had shut off all the lights, he crawled in beside Dany and nestled close. On their sides, facing each other, Jon rested a hand upon Dany's jaw and found her mouth in the dark, kissing her softly. “I love so much,” he whispered. 

“I love you, too,” Dany whispered back. 

Jon gave her so many kisses. Kisses to her lips, her nose, her cheeks, her chin, her forehead. Dozens of _just because_ kisses that Dany hoped she was truly deserving of. 

For a half hour, Jon made love to his wife slowly, keeping her lubricated with multiple orgasms until Jon finally came a second time, filling another of Dany's holes with his warm seed. When he was completely spent, Jon spooned Dany tightly from behind, breathing softly against her hair. 

Had Dany been feeling naughty, she would have rubbed her butt against his crotch, goading him into filling all of her holes in one night. But the sun would be up soon, they were both so exhausted, and besides. . . Dany would have the whole rest of her life to tease Jon into fucking her ass. She could allow herself some patience and some sleep in the arms of her husband. 

With Jon's phone on silent, they wouldn't be disturbed by the avalanche of texts, calls, and Instagram messages from friends and family who were just learning of Jon and Dany's elopement through Jon's latest posted photo album captioned, _“Me and Wifey in Vegas”_ followed by the bride emoji, the chapel emoji, and the hashtags: #mrandmrssnow, #dontbejealousbutiknowyouare, and #honeymoon

* * * * *

Jon was accustomed to one of two mornings. The work mornings, where Dany would roll out of bed before the sun rose and dress for work while Jon watched, falling back asleep for another hour after she kissed him goodbye. And the weekend mornings where Jon would let Dany sleep in while he showered, and made breakfast for them. He wasn't used to honeymoon mornings, where Dany woke up him up by kissing his neck and rubbing herself against his leg, though it quickly became his favorite type of morning. 

He pulled Dany on top of him and sat her on his cock. He had no idea what time it was, or if the sun was even up behind the black-out hotel curtains. But he knew he was hard as a rock, and only Dany's softness could release him of such all consuming pressure. In truth, he was still half asleep when Dany started to ride him, but as Dany neared a quick climax, she dug her fingernails into Jon's shoulders and made him hiss. 

“Let go,” Jon growled. He pinched Dany's nipples in a tight grip. A not-so-punishing punishment. 

Dany gasped, her thighs quaking. She released his shoulders and gripped his wrists instead, but did nothing to try and ease him from her flesh. If anything, she was trying to keep his hands where they were. Maybe that was against the rules. She was too dazed to know or care. The shocks of pain rippled from the assaulted tips of her breasts to her swollen clitoris. 

Another minute of short bounces upon Jon's bucking lap and Dany was done for. She cried up at the ceiling when Jon released her nipples and gripped her hips instead, keeping them in place as he fucked her in quick thrusts upward. She was soon collapsing atop Jon, her front molding to his and her face tucked against his shoulder. Jon kept his arms around her, hands splayed upon her heaving back, and he pressed kisses the the side of her head until she fell back to sleep. Jon remained hard and tucked within Dany's warm sex as he allowed himself another hour's sleep before he'd roll Dany onto her back and finish what she started. 

* * * * *

They had planned to go hiking that afternoon, but they were having a difficult time getting out of the hotel room, and eventually decided to postpone their trip into the mountains another day. They bathed together and ordered room service, which went half-uneaten while they partook in other delights that would render their shower moot. By the time they were pulling themselves together for a night out, Dany had come so many times not even Jon could keep track of the number, and Jon had fucked each of her holes multiple times. Their second shower was twice as long because of all the fluids that needed to be scrubbed from Dany's body. Lots of saliva, her come and Jon's, even a bit of honey from the room service tray, the abundance of lube used so Jon could maneuver inside her ass with minimal discomfort, and the tears that dried upon Dany's cheeks as she cried through half her orgasms. 

“I think I'm going to really enjoy being your husband,” Jon murmured against Dany's neck. He ran a soapy hand between her buttcheeks as they stood under the warm shower spray. 

Dany replied with a little giggle. “I think I'm going to really enjoy being your wife.”


	20. Chapter 20

**MAY, 2021**

Dany awoke to an empty bed that Saturday morning with a hunger. Not for food, but for affection. The air conditioning chilled her naked body as she unfurled herself from the sheets and touched bare toes to the hardwood floor. In a sleepy haze, Dany grabbed the first of Jon's sweatshirts she found, not caring if it was dirty or not, and tugged it on as she padded out the bedroom and down the narrow hallway. It was a new house for her and her husband, less than six months lived in. Though only a modest three-bedroom, Dany still found the amount of space overwhelming. She liked to be cozy and confined, but she also understood their need for extra room going forward. 

She followed the scent of coffee and soon found Jon in the dining area, sipping on said coffee and looking at his laptop screen. Billing. Jon hated billing. 

Without a word, Dany lowered to her knees and crawled the rest of the way to Jon. She curled up beside his leg, butt on the area rug, arms around his legs, and her cheek rested against his knee. 

Jon looked down at her with a smile and a flutter in his heart. He had no other choice but to finish up his work with one hand so he could pet Dany's head in slow strokes with the other. He was careful not to dip his fingers through her tresses, not wanting to tug on the tangles made by last night's love making. 

She purred, her eyes fluttering shut as her body relaxed against his leg. For an hour, Jon worked at his laptop with his palm warming the side of Dany's head. For a while, Jon thought Dany had fallen asleep against him. It wouldn't be the first time. As soon as he got as much done as he was going to that morning, Jon shut his laptop and bent forward to press a kiss to the top of Dany's head. 

“Good morning, Daisy,” Jon murmured, awakening Dany from her half-sleep. She hummed, fingertips dancing upon Jon's ankle. On any other Saturday morning, Jon would lift Dany onto his lap and make love to her, but this wasn't an average Saturday morning. He kissed her again. “Happy birthday.”

Finally, Dany peeled her eyes open and tilted her head up, batting her long lashes up at her husband. “Happy anniversary.” 

Jon's next kiss was to Dany's lips, and as much as he longed to dip his tongue into her warm cavernous mouth, he knew it would only lead to sex, and there wasn't time for that. “Are you ready to get to work?”

Her nose scrunched with disapproval. “Can't we have a little fun first? It's still early.”

“There's lots to do. Everyone'll be here in a few hours. But. . .” He lifted a small smirk. “If you're a really good girl, and you help me get everything ready with enough time to spare, we can have some fun in the shower before I get you all squeaky clean.”

A grin stretched the width of Dany's face. Their master bathroom was twice the size of the one at the apartment, and came with a separate shower stall wide enough for Dany to bend fully over and plant her hands on the built in bench as Jon ravished her from behind. She shivered with arousal at the memory of their last shower quickie. It was never as good as being on their bed, sofa, floor, or even the kitchen counters, but it surpassed fucking on the bathroom sink, in Jon's car, in Dany's car, and atop the dining table, mostly because Dany could never shake the fear that it might collapse underneath her weight. 

She had gained a few pounds in recent weeks, but it didn't effect Dany's self esteem the way she thought it might. It was hard to feel insecure about her body when the sexiest man she'd ever laid eyes on always looked at her like she was a either a yummy dessert or a hypnotic siren. Jon had to put her in sweat pants while they prepared the backyard for their festivities, just so he wouldn't be tempted to take her where she stood. It was harder to contain himself while they were both puttering in the kitchen, getting the food prepped for barbecuing. Whenever they crossed one another, Jon would feel Dany's body gently brush his own. Even after a year of marriage, the mere touch of Dany's butt against Jon's crotch made his dick hard, especially when he could tell how horny she was, too. He could smell it on her, and feel it in the way she shivered when his lips touched the side of her head. 

They finished their chores with over an hour to spare, and just as Jon promised, he rewarded Dany for all her good work with sex and a long shower. When they were both washed clean, and Jon had shaved Dany's legs and underarms bare, he went about readying them both for their first ever party at their new home. Though, it was less a party and more just an informal barbecue get-together with their closest family and friends. Good vibes only. No negative energy allowed. 

Jon fixed Dany up first, since that always took longest. He toweled her dry and ran a brush through her hair til the damp tresses were silky smooth. He picked out her outfit and dressed her: white thong, pastel sun dress, and strappy sandals. Before Jon decorated her face with a touch of makeup, he kissed her clean lips with three soft, lingering reward kisses. 

Dany hummed against his mouth. It didn't matter how thoroughly Jon had fucked her just twenty minutes earlier. Her pussy was inflamed with lust, and the fact that Jon had been readying her before putting a stitch of clothing on himself only made matters worse. Even flaccid, Jon's cock aroused Dany's already insatiable appetite. 

“Don't dirty those panties, Daisy,” Jon warned, “or I'll have to change them.” He knew well that Dany was hungering. It was obvious. By this point in their relationship, Jon could glance at her from the opposite side of a crowded room and be able to tell if she was wet or not. 

She pouted. “It's not my fault you're so sexy.”

“What am I going to do with you?” Jon went to the closet. If he didn't dress soon, he feared Dany's unquenchable lust would rub off on him, and who would answer the door for their guests if he and Dany were shut up in their room all day fucking like animals? 

Speaking of answering the door. . . 

The house echoed with the chime of their doorbell. Jon hopped out of the closet, only having put his pants on half way. “What time is it?”

It was 1:30PM. A half hour before their guests were told to arrive. Jon groaned. He never understood some people's compulsion to arrive to parties early. 

Dany stood. “Maybe it's a delivery. I'll get it.”

Jon didn't like it when Dany answered the front door. He much preferred to screen everyone who stepped onto their porch and verify for himself that they weren't a psycho-killer wanting to harm his wife. But he had little choice in his half-nude state, so he watched Dany skip out of the room without objection. But his paranoia made him dress quickly, and he was following in Dany's line to the front door as soon as he had his fly zipped and a clean shirt half buttoned up his torso. 

“Mom?” Dany spoke, her voice laden with surprise. 

Jon hooked an arm around Dany's waist as he joined her in the foyer, coming face to face with Rhaella Targaryen. He immediately gained the same shocked expression as Dany and quickly fastened the rest of his shirt buttons. 

“What are you doing here?” Dany asked. She had given her parents her new address as soon as she and Jon moved, which was more than she could say for her parents' move, but never did her mother or father intimate that they wished to visit. In fact, Dany hadn't seen her parents in over a year. Not since they dropped in on her during their flight layover. But now, Dany looked her mom over and realized not only that she was alone, but that she had a suitcase beside her. The sight perplexed Dany further. “Are you on a trip?”

“No, no,” replied Rhaella with an airy smile and a wave of her hand. “I just wanted to pay my daughter a little visit.”

“You flew all the way to LA just for a little visit?” Dany wasn't buying it. “You never called or texted. What's going on?”

“Do you want to come in?” Jon asked. He may not have seen Dany's mom since before their wedding, but Rhaella was still his mother-in-law, and it felt weird to leave her standing on their porch while Dany tried to figure out what was going on. 

“Yes. Thank you.” Rhaella never met Jon's eye. Merely swished her blonde hair behind her back and stepped through the doorway, leaving her suitcase on the porch for, presumably, Jon to carry in. He did so, and then joined his wife and mother-in-law in the living room. “What a quaint little home,” she mused, turning her head about and studying all the corners of the main living space. “You need something on these walls, though. I can have some of our old art pieces taken out of storage and shipped to you.”

“You don't have to do that,” Dany said. Her brows were furrowed, eyes studying her mother as intently as her mother studied their interior decorating. 

“I'd love a tour,” Rhaella happily chirped. “Though, I suppose there isn't much else to see, is there?”

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

“Huh? I told you, dear. I wanted to pay you a visit.”

Dany huffed. “You hopped on a five hour plane ride without so much as a phone call, and without _Dad,_ just to pay me a visit? He's not dead, is he? Surely you would have called if my only father had died, right?”

“Oh, don't be so dramatic.”

“Then where is he?”

Rhaella's chin downturned and her lips sealed. For the first time in forever, Dany actually witnessed her mother _slouch._ The sight softened Dany, her frustration turning to concern. 

Jon flitted his gaze from Dany to Rhaella and back again as the two women had some sort of silent conversation. Getting the hint, he told Dany in a whisper that he would go finish getting ready. He kissed her cheek, then departed into their bedroom. 

Alone with her mother – and Dany could not remember the last time she was alone with her mother – Dany asked Rhaella once more where Aerys was. 

“He's at home,” Rhaella answered quietly, countenance like that of a lost puppy.

The grief entered Dany's soul even before her mother could confirm her suspicions. She'd never seen Rhaella cry before, and she did so with her arms around Dany and her face pressed to Dany's shoulder. Her tears stained Dany's flesh as she ran a palm up and down her mother's spine. 

Aerys had been having an affair, Rhaella revealed through her sobs. It had been going on for years, since just after they moved to Florida, but Rhaella had only discovered their emails last night. A huge argument ensued, and it took all of Rhaella's courage to pack a bag and take a car to the airport. She hadn't even known where she was going until she spotted an early morning flight into LAX. 

It was all so bizarre for Dany. She could hardly wrap her head around it all. It wasn't simply her father's infidelity, or the fact that her parents' marriage was likely over. It was that her mother was literally crying on Dany's shoulder. It was that Dany was comforting her mother, holding her close and stroking her back. When had Dany ever been granted comfort in Rhaella's arms? Resentment bubbled in Dany's chest. She soon backed away from her mother. “I'm sorry,” she mumbled. “Have you got a hotel?”

“No, not yet.” The absence of Dany's warmth forced Rhaella to right herself. She pulled a tissue from her purse and blotted her cheeks. “I suppose I should figure that out. I'm not really sure how.”

Dany sighed. “I can help you.”

Jon appeared from the hallway all spiffed up and ready to be his charming self for their guests, but right now he put all his energy into pretending like he hadn't heard Rhaella crying from the bedroom. Dany's tears were the only ones he knew how to deal with. Any opportunity to ignore someone else's was an opportunity he wouldn't pass up. 

“It's almost two,” Jon told Dany, then turned to his mother-in-law. “Are you going to stay for the party?”

“Party?” Rhaella's eyes finally met Jon's, but only momentarily. “I didn't realize I was intruding.”

“You're not intruding,” Jon assured, but he could feel Dany's eyes on him and their reluctance to agree. “You're more than welcome to stay. We would have invited you, but with you living so far away. . .”

“Of course. No, no. I'm not dressed properly for a party.”

“Don't worry about that,” Jon replied. “It's just a barbecue. Nothing fancy. Quite the opposite actually. Just a few friends and family. My family, I mean. And you, if you'd like to stay. You can help us celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” asked Rhaella. “What's the special occasion?” 

Jon turned his eyes to Dany, sharing an uncomfortable look. He could see in her countenance a small chunk of her heart chipping off. He cleared his throat. “Well, we're celebrating lots of things. Our anniversary is today. One year. And of course. . . um. . . Dany's birthday.”

Rhaella looked to her daughter, but Dany's gaze was already pointed at the floor. Rhaella opened her mouth to speak, but before the words made it up her throat, Dany was breezing through the living room and disappearing down he hall. The master bedroom door slammed shut a moment later. 

A suffocating silence enveloped Jon and Rhaella. Jon was caught between anger over Rhaella's thoughtlessness and sympathy over her sullen expression. After a minute, Rhaella's voice quietly asked, “What's the date?”

“May sixteenth,” Jon answered. 

Rhaella's head nodded slowly. “I should go.”

“You should stay.”

“No. I've upset her.”

“You leaving right now is not going to make anything better,” Jon insisted. “You came here for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but if it has anything to do with wanting to spend time with your daughter, you need to actually do that. Today's an important day. It's good that you're here for her. But, only if you want to be here _for her.”_

The doorbell rang before Rhaella could make her decision. It was Missandei, Grey, and Nathan, now four years old. After happy greetings between them and Jon, Missandei noticed Rhaella and gained a shocked expression. 

“Mrs. Targaryen!” she exclaimed. “It's been so long.”

“Oh,” Rhaella started, looking over her daughter's old friend and seeing she had a family of her own now. “Yes. Yes, it has been quite a while. Don't you all look precious.”

Under the hallway arch, Jon said, “You all catch up. I'm going to get Dany.” 

Jon found his wife on their bed, scrunched in the fetal position and eyes staring blankly at the wall. He shut the door and rounded the bed. He crouched to her eye level. “Baby? Missi's here.”

Through a sad murmur, Dany asked, “Am I an idiot for being upset that my mother forgot my birthday?”

“No.”

“I'm not going out there if she's still here.”

“Dany. . .”

“Shouldn't I get to decide who gets to be here or not?” she argued. 

“Today isn't just about you.” Jon's words were pointed, but true. 

Dany groaned. “What happened to _no negativity?”_

“It's a party. There's always going to be some drama.”

“Which is exactly why I hate parties.”

“Come on, little girl.” Jon stood and hoisted Dany off the bed. He set her down before him and took her face into his hands. “She should be here. I invited my family.”

“You didn't invite your step-mom.”

Jon gave her a look that said “That's different,” and Dany immediately regretted her words. 

The doorbell rang again, and they listened to someone, either Missandei or Grey, answer the door for whoever had just arrived. By the loudness of the new voice, it had to have been Robb. 

“This was a ridiculous idea,” Dany said. “We should have just told everyone in an Instagram post. It worked so well for our wedding.”

Jon took a moment to kiss Dany before taking her hand and leading her out of the bedroom to get this party underway. 

* * * * *

As more and more guests arrived, filling the backyard with chatter and the sweet sound of small children playing, Dany decided this wasn't such a ridiculous idea after all. And Jon was right. It was an important day. It wasn't simply Dany's birthday, and not simply their anniversary. It was a day to finally bring their separate lives together. Dany's friends with Jon's and Dany's colleagues with Jon's. And it was only fitting that Dany's family, her mother at least, should meet Jon's family, his siblings at least. 

Dany was surprised that everyone on their guest list had shown up. It was a good thing Jon had gotten the Costco size package of hamburgers. She was glad that Robb and Talisa had brought little Ned with them, and that Sam and his wife, Gilly, had brought Sam Jr. It was refreshing to see Nathan play as the big kid for a change, showing the toddlers all the cool toys he had brought with him in his Pikachu backpack. 

A few more of Jon's old work friends showed up, including Edd, but no one from Lannister & Baratheon. Jon had quit that position as soon as he saved enough to finally pay off his student loan debt, and he never saw it necessary to keep in touch with anyone from that office. 

Tyrion, Dany's boss of more than a year, had shown up, something she had not expected, and he brought his wife along. Their intern-turned-law clerk, Podrick, arrived with them and had been making eyes at Sansa since first meeting the tall redhead. Naturally, though, Sansa did not notice the crush-vibes he was putting out. But if Podrick was anything like Jon, he'd be inviting himself over to her apartment by the time the burgers were done.

It was a bit awkward to have the Starks here, and Dany had been half-hoping they wouldn't show up, save for Talisa, whom Dany was very excited to see again. But, for Jon's benefit, she was happy they all came. Arya had somehow acquired a boyfriend and brought him along. It must have been a new relationship, because she was on her best behavior, still wanting to make a good impression, no doubt. Bran and his girlfriend had broken up for the fourth time, so he stuck close to Rickon through most of the event. 

The way the young wives gravitated together by the playing children reminded Dany of that awful Holiday party at Lannister & Baratheon, but she took solace in that their conversations were much less tedious than those Cersei Lannister and Selyse Baratheon had been content to have. Maybe it was that they were all under thirty, but the conversation steered quickly onto sex. 

“Don't look at me,” Gilly said with a disheartened shake of her head. “We've done it, like, twice since Sam Jr. was born.”

“Twice?” Dany gasped so sharply she nearly stumbled backwards. The other women laughed. 

“It's hard with the baby!” Gilly exclaimed. She turned to Talisa. “You know what I'm talking about, right?”

A blush spread across Talisa's face. She was just as shy as Dany about discussing these matters explicitly, but Dany always assumed she and Robb had a good sex life. Even sober-Robb was energetic, and they had enough money to afford a part-time nanny for little Ned. But then Talisa explained, “Well, Robb works a lot. It's good for him. He likes working, but it means he isn't home very much. We do have a date night every Friday, because Robb tends to work through the weekends. We have a standing appointment with our babysitter, and she watches Ned while we go out to dinner, or to see a movie. By the time we get back home, Ned is usually asleep, so we send the babysitter home and, if it was a good date, we _keep the date going,_ so to speak. But sometimes we're just too tired.”

Missandei shook her head. “That's how it goes. Grey works twelve hour shifts. Graveyard half the time, which means his sleep schedule is always wacked. When Nathan was younger, our sex life was, like, nonexistent. It's better now that he's getting older and he's sleeping through the night. But still, we're doing it twice a week, _max.”_

“Max?” Dany cast her bewildered look at Missandei. In college, Dany had gotten so used to having to stick earplugs in whenever Grey visited that she just assumed their high sex drives continued into marriage and parenthood. 

The ladies laughed at Dany's shock once more. Missandei put an arm around Dany and addressed Talisa and Gilly. “She's only like this because she and Jon fuck, like, all the time.”

“No we don't!” Dany reflexively argued, her face turning beet red. 

“Wait, how much is all the time?” Talisa curiously inquired. 

“Watch,” began Missandei, like she was about to show the two women a magic trick. “Dany, how many times have you and Jon had sex today?”

“Only once,” she stated. In Dany's mind, the fact that she awoke at 9:00AM, five whole hours before this party's start time, and yet they only had sex once was proof they had an average sex life. 

But the three women chuckled in disagreement. 

“How many times did you have sex yesterday?” Missandei pressed, then told the others, “Keep in mind, it was a full work day for both of them.”

Dany thought on the question, hoping to give a normal answer. “Wait, what do you consider to be a single time?”

“How many times did you get off yesterday?” Talisa asked. Apparently her shyness only translated to talking of her own experiences. 

Dany shifted awkwardly between her two feet. “That's not fair. I get off really easily with Jon, so obviously that number is going to be inflated.” 

The women groaned in envy, taking that as an answer in itself. 

“How many times did Jon get off?” Gilly asked, thinking that a better indication of how many rounds they went. 

“Um. . .” Dany was hesitant. “Three. But that's only because we both came home for lunch!”

“Lord Almighty,” Talisa breathed, shaking her head. 

Missandei was giggling beside Dany. “Okay, ballpark estimate. . . How many hours did you spend yesterday having sex? Including foreplay.” 

“Including foreplay?” Dany grimaced, knowing this answer was certainly going to tank her case of normalcy. But that was only because foreplay tended to begin as soon as they were alone together. It didn't mean they were constantly having intercourse, but the teasing and the coaxing and the all around experience of their lovemaking was a very extensive process that just happened naturally as soon as they got home from work and, often times, did not fully end until they both fell asleep. “Maybe. . . six. Seven, tops.”

“Seven?!” All three women shouted at once. Even Missandei's eyes bugged out of her head, not expecting a number quite so high. She began to fan herself with her hand. “No wonder you never have to go to the gym. I think I need a drink.”

“There's beer in the cooler by the back door, with some soda also. And there's wine in the kitchen,” Dany said, anxious to change the subject. 

“Anyone want anything?” asked Missandei. 

The others shook their heads. After Missandei left, Talisa scanned the yard for her husband. “I should go check on Robb,” she said, and Dany immediately felt guilty for even making alcohol available at this event. Robb had been doing well in his sobriety, but Dany knew enough of addiction to know that it only takes one moment to bring down a mountain of progress. 

“I'll keep an eye on the kids,” Gilly offered, and Talisa was soon headed toward the grill where, naturally, all the husbands gathered, probably talking about the same things the wives had been discussing. Dany supposed she didn't deserve to be anxious about that when she had just divulged how many times Jon ejaculated the day before. 

But, across the yard and under the shade of the patio awning, Jon, along with Grey, Sam, and Robb were caught up in a heated discussion about barbecuing techniques. 

“Look at me!” Grey exclaimed. “I'm the barbecuing master. And the master says, salt and pepper ain't gonna cut it. You need to put some chili powder on those patties or something.”

“Chili powder? What about the halibut?” Jon asked. 

“Fish?” Grey balked. “I don't know how to barbecue fish.”

“So much for being the barbecue master,” Robb laughed. 

“Who barbecues fish?!” Grey retorted. 

Jon shook his head. “I'm just going to google it.”

When Dany saw Jon pulling out his phone, she just hoped he wasn't about to show any of the guys the nudes she'd texted him on her particularly naughty days. He wouldn't do that. He was probably just looking up how to cook the fish. 

“It's going to change when you have kids,” Gilly said, bringing Dany back to their conversation. “Your life is going to be all about dirty diapers, bottles, and nonstop crying. You won't be able to walk two feet in your home without stepping on a baby sock or a pacifier. Unless you two aren't planning to have kids, which is totally cool. I'm just saying--”

Right on cue, Gilly was pulled away from her thought by the high pitched wail of Sam Jr. He'd been bumbling about behind them until he tripped over his wobbly legs and face-planted. Dany watched, chewing on her bottom lip contemplatively, as Gilly soothed her fallen son. He dropped into her lap and cried against her pants. 

That was the sort of mother Dany wanted to be. The kind to come running when she heard her child's cries. She wanted to be a nurturer. She wanted to give her child what she never received growing up, and what Jon never received. But the thought of simply being a mother diminishing her relationship with Jon in any way did not sit well in her stomach. She wanted more. She wanted her family to grow. But she didn't want what she had currently to suffer because of it. 

Her and Jon's eyes connected from across the yard. He smiled at her like he was proud of her. For what? Dany wasn't sure. But it was everything to Dany in that moment to know that Jon could make her feel loved with a single smile. 

* * * * *

“Are you okay?” Dany slid onto the picnic bench beside where her mother had been sitting, religiously sanitizing her hands and flinching if ever a bee buzzed too close. 

“If you had purchased a home with a decent dining room, you could have gotten a table large enough to fit all of your friends rather than forcing everyone to eat outdoors like animals.”

Dany smiled and put her hand atop Rhaella's. “Are you going to go back to Dad?”

“Oh, well. . . I'll give him some time to apologize to me properly, and then I'll get out of your hair.”

Dany's smile fell. What exactly would a proper apology be from a man who cheated on his wife for nearly a decade? “I'm glad you left, Mom. He's a pig.”

“He's your father,” Rhaella snapped. 

“I don't care,” Dany stated calmly. “He makes me miserable, and I don't want him to make you miserable either.”

“What do you propose I do?”

“Divorce him.”

“And do what?”

“Anything. You can do anything you want, Mom.”

Robb was put on serving duty and was going around handing burgers on paper plates to the guests. He set one in front of Dany with a bow. “For you, m'Lady.”

“Thank you,” Dany chuckled. “I'm mad at you, though.”

He stepped back and cocked a curious eyebrow. 

“I noticed a gift bag in the house with you and Talisa's name on it. I told you not to get me anything.”

He smiled charmingly. “Don't be mad at me. Talisa picked it out and wrote both our names on it. I don't even know what it is. Oh!” He'd had a cold can of Sprite in his hand and set it in front of Dany. “Thought you'd want this.” He winked before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of Dany's head. He wished her a happy birthday before sauntering off to finish his duties, and Dany watched him go with a suspicious eye.

“You shouldn't let him do that,” Rhaella warned her daughter. “It's inappropriate.” 

“It's okay, Mom.”

“Your husband is right there,” Rhaella said, motioning to where Jon stood at the grill. 

Dany smiled. At least her mother was accepting that Jon was her husband. Baby steps. “That was my brother-in-law. He's a lot, but he's my family now. Don't worry about it.”

“Is that why you didn't invite me to this. . . event. Because you don't think of me as your family anymore?”

Dany sighed down at her burger as she situated the lettuce and tomato in just the right fashion. She reached across the table and took the bottle of Ketchup Bran had just finished using to wet his own burger. “You'll always be my family, Mom. I just didn't think you'd be interested in coming.”

“Oh, Dany. Let me find you a fork and knife.”

“It's a burger,” Dany laughed. “You're not supposed to eat it with a fork and knife.” She closed her burger with the top bun and scooped everything up into her small hands. Rhaella cringed when Dany took a large bite, a drop of ketchup falling to her chin. Rhaella was quick to pull a tissue from her purse and swipe it away before it could stain Dany's dress.

“Well, I'm not eating one of those,” Rhaella stubbornly insisted. Not a moment later, Jon was at their table, setting a Corelle plate in front of his mother-in-law. It was topped with an impeccably, or at least decently, grilled piece of halibut. 

Dany smiled gratefully up at him when he so aptly presented Rhaella with a silver knife and fork. 

“Now this looks okay,” Rhaella admitted, taking hold of the cutlery and studying closely the fish before her. 

Not exactly a compliment, but Jon would take what he could get. 

“Thank you, honey,” Dany said on behalf of her mother. 

Jon leaned down and met Dany's lips in a short kiss. “You're welcome, Daisy.”

When Jon was gone, Rhaella inquired as to why Jon had just called her daughter _Daisy._

“It's just a nickname,” Dany explained. “He's been calling me that since we were kids.”

“I don't know how I feel about that,” said Rhaella with dismay as she cut into her food. “He should call you Daenerys, or Dany. That's the name that we gave you. He can't just rename you. And, Daisy? Sounds like a dog's name. Or the name of a porcelain doll. It's not suitable for a woman.”

“Mom.” Dany wouldn't respond until Rhaella was turned in her seat and meeting Dany's pointed stare. “I love you, but I don't care what you think is suitable. You chose the life you wanted to live. Now, I am choosing the life that I want to live. I chose to be with Jon, and to share my life with him. We chose this house together, because we both love it and because we didn't want a giant dining room with a twelve foot table. We chose to celebrate today by eating finger food outside because it's a beautiful day, and because we don't need fancy stuff to be happy. And. . . we chose not to invite you and Dad because I knew you would only be judgmental, and we really wanted today to be positive, because it's a big day for us. I'm glad you're here, Mom, but I need you to try harder to be positive. Jon's been really nice to you, and I'd like you to be nice to him back.”

Rhaella silently processed her daughter's words. So much to unpack. Before she could grasp onto a proper response, that would not drive Dany further away from her, Jon was back at the table. Everyone had gotten a plate, and he was now ready to dig in himself. He pulled a fold-out chair up to the end of the table, just adjacent to Dany, and sat down. 

“How is it?” he asked Rhaella, referring to the food. 

“Oh.” Rhaella snapped out of her thoughts and quickly carved off a small bite of the halibut and tasted it. She hummed. “It is surprisingly good.”

Content with the answer, and with himself, Jon lifted his burger and dropped his jaw. He took a massive bite that left him covering his mouth with his hand just to keep everything contained. Dany chuckled and shook her head. Some things never change. 

Jon finished eating well before Dany, but as soon as she was full, Jon was taking her hand and leading her into the house. Dany didn't ask questions. She let Jon pull her into their master bathroom with an amused smile. All the dots connected when Jon dug a bottle of sunscreen out of the medicine cabinet. He kissed her before turning her around and coating her arms, shoulders, and back with the white lotion. 

“You and your mom have a good conversation?” Jon asked as he massaged the lotion onto her chest above the neckline of her dress. 

“Define good. She did call you my husband, though. I figure that's a good sign.”

Jon dropped to one knee, squeezed a hardy amount of sunscreen into his palms and began rubbing it into Dany's pale legs. “Are you going to invite her to stay here with us?”

Dany snorted. “No. Definitely not. Where would she sleep? The sofa? Can you imagine? I'll help her book a hotel once everyone has gone home.”

“It's okay with me if she stays for a while.”

Dany cast a suspicious look down at Jon. “Why are you being so hospitable toward her?”

“I don't know.” Jon finished Dany's legs, but remained stooped, staring up at her. “I guess I just feel bad for anyone who doesn't get to be a part of your life.”

“She didn't want to be a part of my life. I'm not the one who pushed her away. She's the one--”

“I know,” Jon assured. “But things are changing. If there's a chance that she can get better, I think that's a good thing. And she's already put in a big effort. I mean, she's sitting at a picnic table with no table cloth on it.”

Dany chuckled. “I would like her to be a part of our lives. It's just the judgment I can't take. It's not going to set a good example.”

Jon stood. “Let's get back out there.” 

A large sheet cake was cut and served on behalf of Dany's birthday, but there was absolutely no singing, per the birthday girl's request. Jon would sing to her later, he decided. He did make her blow out twenty-eight candles, though, and when he asked what she wished for, Dany merely winked and said it was a secret. 

When afternoon turned to evening, Jon stood up before all their guests before they could begin filtering home. He tapped his car key against the neck of his beer bottle and gathered everyone's attention. “In case the cake wasn't enough of an indicator, today is Dany's birthday. It also happens to be our one year wedding anniversary. What can I say? I asked what she wanted for her birthday, and she said a wedding.” 

A chorus of chuckles waved through the audience. Dany cracked a smile, shaking her head at the joke Jon has told a dozen times in the last year. 

“And I was not about to deny her,” Jon continued. “Who am I kidding? I was ready to marry her the first time we were alone together. Which, by the way, was in the girl's bathroom at our prep school. It's a long story, but we were standing in the same stall, and Dany was assuring me that she didn't have a stutter. She just wasn't very good at talking in front of people. Well, that was a long time ago, and she's pretty good at it now, as I'm sure her boss can attest. So, I will let her tell all of you the _real_ reason we invited you here today.”

Everyone looked to Dany, who stood beside Jon, a second can of Sprite cooling her palms. She laughed nervously under so many eyes. “It's true,” she said. “I don't stutter anymore, but it does feel like the temperature went up a few degrees.”

Jon curved an arm around Dany's shoulders for support. 

“It is my birthday,” she continued. “And it's our anniversary. But, today is also very special for another very special reason, and that is that today. . .” Her mouth stretched in a wide grin, “today is the first day of my second trimester.” She pressed a hand to her still-small belly. “I am pregnant. We're having a baby.”

When their guests erupted in cheers, whistles, and congratulatory shouts from every corner of the yard, Dany's face turned beet red. She turned into Jon's arms and pressed her nose to his shoulder, giggling against his shirt as he held her with one arm. His mouth rested atop her head and gave a series of kisses there. He could tell his wife was happy. It made his heart thump hard in his chest, so hard Dany could feel it against her own chest. 

The baby may be both of theirs, but Dany was the one deserving of all the well-wishes. While she was caught in a whirlwind of hugs, cheek kisses, and unsolicited advice, Jon slipped into the house to take his pills. He kept his pill bottles in the kitchen, and took them with a glass of water, deciding two beers was as much as he could do without worrying about negative effects. When he emerged from the kitchen, he noticed Rhaella in the living room, standing idyll before the fireplace mantle. 

Jon approached cautiously, suspecting that Dany had acquired her jumpiness from her mother's side of the family. 

“Are you alright?” he asked her. 

She'd been staring at the framed photos lined up along the wooden beam. So far, those photos were the only “artwork” decorating the home. Despite the bare walls, Jon and Dany decided these few pictures warmed up the space more than band posters or abstract artwork ever could. 

“What's this from?” she asked, picking up a golden frame. 

“That's from our wedding.”

“Oh, it can't be,” Rhaella quietly argued, not peeling her eyes from the photo of Jon and Dany. “What is she wearing? Not a bra, obviously. And who is that strange man in the background?”

Jon struggled not to chuckle. “That's Elvis. Well, his real name is something like Alan Mortinson. Nice guy.”

Rhaella's head shook with dismay. “And who took this photo? Clearly not a professional. Had you hired a professional photographer, he would have edited _Elvis_ out of it.”

“Missandei took the picture.”

Finally, Rhaella turned her head, staring her blue eyes into Jon's. The same eyes as Dany. It was surreal for him, being looked at in such a way by the exact eyes that made him melt on a daily basis. His first instinct was to comfort her, but these were not Dany's eyes, and they did not make him melt. 

“I thought you two eloped,” she said.

“We did. But. . . Dany wanted her support system there with her, so Missi and her husband came up to Vegas with us.”

Rhaella put the photo down. “She didn't tell us about the wedding until she called to give us her new address. Aerys was livid.”

Jon didn't know how to respond, so they fell into silence. When it turned uncomfortable, Rhaella cleared her throat and asked, “Where did Daisy come from?”

With a small smile, Jon explained the origin of the nickname, about Harrenhal and the ignorant teachers who couldn't be bothered to get Dany's name right, about Dany's nerves and her inability to ever correct anyone. “When I found out her name wasn't Daisy, I was a little disappointed, since it's so cute. Thankfully, she likes it when I call her that. Obviously, I wouldn't if she didn't. I think the name Daenerys is beautiful.”

Usually, when Jon told that story, people crooned about how precious it was. But Rhaella did not croon. She seemed to understand it the precise way that Jon did. It was a story about a very sad and anxious girl who just wanted someone to know who she was. It wasn't the name Daisy that angered Dany so. It was that no one cared what her real name was. It was that no one had ever given her the option. She was either Dany or she was Daisy. It wasn't until Jon that she got to decide to be both. 

With a sadness to her proper tone, Rhaella quietly asked, “How long do you think it would have taken her to tell me she's pregnant, had I not shown up here out of the blue?”

“I don't know,” Jon answered honestly. He always told Dany she never needed to tell anyone anything unless she truly wanted them to know. But this was different. Their child won't just be his and Dany's child. It will also be Rhaella and Aerys's grandchild. Whether or not they had a right to know was something Jon had not yet discerned in the weeks since finding out about the pregnancy. 

“Probably not til she popped the thing out,” Rhaella decided morosely. 

Jon decided to let _'the thing'_ slide for the sake of his mother-in-law's melancholy, but the comment did put an edge to his tone. “I'm sure she would have told you soon.”

“I'm her mother,” Rhaella said. “She should have called me the moment she found out. That's what daughters do when they find out something like this. They call their mothers and tell them.”

Jon frowned, remembering when Dany tried to tell her mom about the miscarriage a year and a half ago. She was still in the hospital, high on morphine, and the only person she wanted to call was Rhaella. But Rhaella was too impatient, to dismissive. Dany never felt comforted around her mother. 

“When did you find out?” Rhaella asked. 

* * * * *

**APRIL, 2021**

Jon had come home late from work, overcome by guilt. He had promised Dany he'd be home by six, but had to text her not long before that time that he needed an extra hour at work, at least. He'd gotten a new position at a defense firm for the extra money, but was already missing public defending. It was gritty, and paid shit, but he missed the hustle and the ability to work from home half the time. All day behind a desk was torture. 

“Dany!” he called out. All the lights in the house were off, save for a soft beam coming from the master bedroom. “Where are you?” Jon asked when he walked into the bedroom and didn't see her. The light had been coming from the en-suite, the door cracked a mere foot. Jon dropped his briefcase on the bed and pushed open the door. “Daisy. . .”

She was sitting on the floor, cramped in a corner where the wall met the vanity. She had her knees tucked up to her chest and her eyes were full of something between worry and sadness. Her hair was down, trapped behind her back, and she was dressed only in Jon's hoodie. The old brown one, which she wore only when desperate for extra comfort. 

“What's wrong?” he quickly asked, dropping to his knees beside her. 

Her eyes followed him. She'd been crying, but the tears were long dry. “You were right.” She lowered her knees a brought her hands from her lap. She held a white pregnancy test. 

Jon took it, and studied it, noticing the two blue lines running parallel to each other on the little round screen. There was a key right beneath the screen on the stick. One line meant not pregnant, two meant pregnant. 

“That's the second one,” Dany explained. She pointed to the counter top where the first test lied. Jon stood and saw that stick read with two blue lines as well. 

His first instinct was to smile. He grinned ear to ear. _A father._ But his face fell quickly, remembering Dany's expression. Leaving both tests on the counter, Jon stooped down again and rested his hands on her bare knees. “I thought you were going to wait til I got home,” he gently said. 

“I couldn't. Ever since you said that thing about me probably being pregnant, I've been freaking out all day. I even went home early. I told Tyrion I was sick. When you texted you were going to be late, I just couldn't hold out any longer.” She sniffled, fresh tears budding to the surface. “I'm sorry.”

“It's okay, baby.” Jon turned and sat just beside Dany and pressed himself close to her, cocooning her on three sides between the vanity cabinets, the wall behind her, and Jon's body. She always felt safest when there was nowhere to run. “I didn't mean to freak you out. I thought this was what you wanted, why we decided you would stop taking your birth control. I told you that I only wanted it if you wanted it, too.”

“I do want it,” she whispered. “I'm just scared, I guess.”

“It's okay to be scared.”

“What if something bad happens? I don't want anything bad to happen.”

“Hey.” Jon wrapped Dany up in his arms before the sobs came. She was remembering what happened the first time. A year and a half was feeling too much like yesterday, and Dany wasn't handling it well. But Jon knew what that was like. He knew how hard it was to handle something that felt so fresh. He wanted to promise her nothing bad would happen, to promise her that this time, they would come out of it with a healthy baby, the spitting image of the both of them, but those promises wouldn't be fair to her, for Jon remembered as well, and he knew that sometimes things just don't work out the way they should. So he promised what he could. 

“We will get through this,” he said, rocking her gently. “No matter what happens, we'll get through it. You will never have to be alone in this, Dany. I'm going to take care of you.”

“I just want to have your baby.” Her sobs quieted, but Jon could still feel the tears seep through his work shirt. 

Jon pressed his nose to the top of her head. “You're my baby. Anything more is just a bonus.”

They stayed on the bathroom tiles for some time. Jon wasn't sure how long. There was an aching in his belly, and he wasn't sure whether it was despair over his wife's state, or hunger. Both, he eventually decided. Whatever time it was, it was well past dinner time, and if he was hungry, that meant Dany was starving. 

She'd been craving ice cream the last two weeks. Her desire for cake batter ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery was just as insatiable as her desire for Jon. It was one of the things that clued Jon into the fact that their efforts to get pregnant hadn't gone in vain. The second clue was her scent. Specifically, the scent of her pussy when she was aroused, which was always. It was a subtle difference, but one Jon immediately noticed. When he'd brought it up to Dany, she had grown self-conscious until Jon assured her that, though different, it was no less intoxicating. 

During Dany's first, short lived, pregnancy, Jon hadn't realized these variations. Their relationship was too new, and the severe improbability of knocking Dany up clouded his senses. Now being an expert at Dany's body, he purchased the pregnancy tests last night, and this morning, he told Dany he wanted her to take them after they both got home from work. “I would bet you anything that you're pregnant,” he'd told her happily. 

She'd laughed, shaking her head. “You think you know me so well, huh?”

“You know I do.” He'd kissed the side of her head before hurrying into the closet to find a tie to match his shirt. 

All this talk about pregnancy tests had strained their morning routine, and they were both rushing to get their things together. Dany was shoving papers from her nightstand into her leather briefcase when she said, “Fine. What do I get when it comes up negative?”

“You're so pessimistic!” Jon called out from the closet. He emerged, hopping on one foot as he tugged a shoe on. “Fine. If it comes up negative, we can have ice cream for dinner.”

Dany beamed, suddenly craving ice cream for breakfast as well. 

“But, if it comes up positive. . .” Jon's expression grew mischievous, “I get to finally give you that enema.”

“No!” Dany threw a throw pillow at him and ran from the bedroom before Jon could throw it back. “That's not a fair trade!” she shouted from the hallway, on her way to the kitchen to pour herself some juice. That was why her pussy smelled different. She'd suddenly acquired a taste for pomegranate juice and had been drinking a small glass every morning. Pomegranates were a superfood, right? Surely a food with super powers could alter the scent of her vagina. 

“I don't get it!” He spoke as he followed Dany's line to the kitchen to fill his thermos with fresh coffee. “You'll let me fill your ass with my jizz, but you won't let me fill it with water?!”

Dany snorted as she sipped her juice, nearly spitting it out of her mouth. Thankfully, the windows were all shut or else their next door neighbors would be learning way too much about them. “You know it's not about what goes in that I'm afraid of! It's what comes out!”

Jon was beside her a moment later, wrapping his arms around her from behind and burying his face in the crook of her neck. She giggled, feeling his tongue on her flesh. 

“Stop, Jon! You're going to make me late!”

“I'm going to make you wet,” he murmured hotly. 

“Same thing,” she retorted, shoving him away. 

“Fine.” Jon held her shoulders in his hands and looked down at her. A soft smile adorned his face. Just softness. “If I'm right, and it turns out you're pregnant, I get to make love to you.”

Dany blushed, turning her eyes away. “I suppose I can agree to that.”

“You better.” Jon tucked his thumb under her chin and tilted her head upward. He kissed her, slow and gentle. 

Just as Jon was heading out the door, Dany stopped him with a question. “Wait, does this mean that if I'm not pregnant, you're not going to make love to me?”

Jon smirked at her pout. He was running late, but nothing could prevent him from kissing his wife again in that moment. “No,” he murmured against her mouth. “If you win, and you're not pregnant, then I'm going to fuck you harder than you've ever been fucked before.”

She purred. “I like this bet.”

“I knew you would.” One last kiss, and Jon was running out the door. 

Twelve hours later, Jon pushed the bet out of his mind. All he cared about was getting some food into Dany's belly, and his own. When he asked what Dany wanted for dinner, she said, “Breakfast.” She watched him make whole wheat pancakes from scratch. She hugged him tight while he waited for the batter to bubble in the pan. She told Jon she felt lightheaded, and Jon assured her she would feel better once she was fed. 

Indeed, the pancakes helped. She felt her blood pressure steady with each bite Jon fed her and each sip of milk she took from a glass Jon held to her lips. And when he whispered, “I love you,” against her mouth, stained with syrup, it was like the first time he'd ever spoken those words to her. 

“You won the bet,” she said. 

“The bet doesn't matter. I just want you to be okay.”

Dany left her chair and climbed onto Jon's lap, She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his ear. “I'm okay. You make me okay.”

Jon dipped his hands under her hoodie and stroked her warm back. “I'm going to call your doctor in the morning and make an appointment for as soon as possible. We'll make sure everything is fine. Until a doctor tells us we have something to worry about, I don't want you to worry about anything.”

“I'll try.”

“Do you want to call Missandei?”

Her head shook. “I don't want to tell anyone.”

“Dany. . .”

She leaned back to connect with Jon's gaze. “I looked it up. After the first trimester, the chances of a miscarriage are significantly reduced. We can tell people then.” 

“Dany--”

“I don't want anyone feeling bad for me if something happens.”

“Dany. . .”

“Stop calling me that,” Dany whined.

“Okay, Daisy,” Jon promised. “It'll be our secret. We'll go to the doctor, find out how far along you are, and when you're in your second trimester, then we'll tell people.” 

Dany relaxed. “Thank you.”

“Do you want me to give you a bath?”

She shook her head.

“Want to watch TV?”

She shook her head. 

“You want to just go to bed?”

The corners of her mouth lifted, and she shook her head once more. 

Jon cocked an eyebrow, and with a small smirk, he asked, “You want to go to Cold Stone, don't you?”

Her bashful giggle was enough of a response. Jon craned his neck to see the time written on the stove in the kitchen. “Well, they don't close for another hour. Let's get you into some pants, baby girl.”

* * * * *

**MAY, 2021**

“About five weeks ago,” Jon answered Rhaella. “The last doctor's appointment was just a few days ago, and everything looks great. She's growing one very healthy baby in there.”

“I'm glad she has you,” Rhaella said, such niceties startling Jon a bit. They ended with a warning, however. “Don't ever hurt her.”

“I will never,” Jon promised. “I know what it's like to be hurt, and I would never do that to her. Dany is everything to me. Her happiness is everything to me.”

Rhaella looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows, showcasing the backyard where Dany was finally allowing herself to gush with her friends about becoming a mother. She glowed in the late-afternoon sun. “She looks very happy. She always seemed such a melancholic child.”

“She has her moments,” Jon said. “But she's very strong. She pulls herself out of it pretty quickly, especially if you know how to help. I know how to help her, and if you really want to be the person she talks to when she's feeling sad or scared, I can help you get there.”

Rhaella turned back to Jon. She seemed to contemplate his offer seriously, but soon, her head shook. “She doesn't need me anymore. She never did.”

“That is not true.”

“It is. I should go.”

Jon watched in disbelief as Dany's mother pulled her phone from her purse and ordered a ride from a luxury taxi service. “You don't have to go,” Jon tried, but Rhaella was resolved in her decision. 

When the ride was ordered, Rhaella slid her phone back into her purse and said, “Let us know if you need anything for the baby. I'll have Aerys send a check.”

Jon didn't much feel like re-joining the party after Rhaella had gone. She hadn't even told Dany goodbye. If she was staying in LA, maybe they could have a second chance tomorrow, but Jon knew Dany wouldn't be up for that once he told her of Rhaella's departure. 

Dany eventually went inside and found Jon on the sofa, a ponderous frown upon his face. She sat on her knees beside him and dipped her fingers through his hair. “What's wrong?”

“I'm sorry,” he said. “You're mom left.”

A flash of sadness washed over Dany, but she soon righted herself, ridding her mind of disappointment. Today wasn't a day to be disappointed. “What did she say?”

“She said you looked very happy, and that you didn't need her anymore. I told her to stay, but she left.”

Dany leaned in and hugged Jon tightly, and it felt to Jon like she was trying to comfort him more so than herself. “It's okay,” she said. “She's right. I don't need her. Everyone I need is still here. But they won't all be here for much longer. You should come say goodbye.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek, then separated from him. But before she could bounce out the backdoor, she turned and said, “By the way, I know you told Robb about the pregnancy before today.”

Jon's eyes widened. “I did not.”

“Yes you did.”

“Prove it.”

Dany laughed. “You want to make a bet?”

“How are we going to settle a bet like that? All we can do is ask him, and he isn't going to admit to something that isn't true, but I know you aren't going to believe him.”

Dany smirked and went around to the back of the sofa. She draped her arms around Jon's neck and whispered in his ear. “If I win, you have to fuck me harder than I've ever been fucked before.”

Jon groaned, his cock twitching in his jeans. His wife was a smart, sneaky girl. She figured out that betting wasn't begging. “What if I win?”

“I'll let you give me that enema.”

Startled, Jon turned in his seat, but Dany was quick to leave him in his state of shock and sudden arousal. After adjusting himself in his jeans, Jon went out to join his wife in bidding their friends and family goodbye. 

For the sake of the bet, though, they had to hold Robb and Talisa back until it was only them four standing together in the house. Robb was helping Talisa buckle Ned into his carrier when Dany casually began the inquisition. 

“Hey Robb,” she began. “Did Jon tell you I was pregnant before today?”

Robb looked at her with confusion. “No. Why?”

“See,” Jon said. 

Dany looked from Robb, to her husband, and then to Talisa. “So you two didn't know I was pregnant?”

Her sister-in-law shook her head. “No. We were just as surprised as everyone else.”

“I told you, Dany,” Jon said, smiling proudly, his mind already reeling with images of Dany taking a steady stream of fluid into her round little ass. 

Robb was very convincing, as was Talisa, but Dany refused to doubt herself, ready to double down if necessary. “Alright.” She went to the dining table, where a large gift bag sat. “I may as well open up your present before you both leave.”

“Oh, you don't have to do that,” Robb insisted. “Feel free to wait until after we're gone.”

Jon squinted his eyes at his brother. “Why, Robb? What did you get her?”

The look Robb shared with Talisa shot Jon's pride in the foot. He was going to lose this bet, and that enema kit would sit untouched for yet another night. 

Ignoring her in-laws, Dany pulled out the tissue paper and dug her hands into the bag, pulling out of it a large, incriminating, box. “Huh!” she exclaimed, struggling not to break into a fit of laughter. “So, if you two had no idea I was pregnant, why would you give me a breast pump for my birthday?”

Jon groaned into his palms. 

In a last ditch effort to help his brother's case, Robb loudly replied, “I don't know! You guys are the kinky ones! Don't look at me.”

“You are not helping,” Jon told Robb pointedly. 

“Looks like I win the bet!” Dany cheerily exclaimed. 

“What did y'all bet?” Robb asked. 

Jon held his palm up to Robb. “That's none of your business.” 

“Something kinky,” Robb mumbled into Talisa's ear. 

When Jon looked to his wife, he was met with her disapproving stare and a slow shake of her head. He suddenly felt very deep in hot water. 

“Sorry, man,” Robb told Jon before giving him a hug goodbye. 

Talisa went to Dany and offered her a hug as well. “This is a really good one. Top notch. Trust me.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

Jon saw his family out before facing his wife's wrath. “I'm sorry,” he told her. “I just had to tell someone.”

But there was no wrath. In fact, Dany smiled, and her eyes shown nothing but love. “I forgive you,” she said. “Actually, I told Missandei, like, two weeks ago.”

Jon chuckled and opened his arms for Dany to walk into. He held her tight. “Good.”

“I won the bet,” she repeated. 

Jon groaned, remembering well the terms of their bet. He gripped her ass and felt his cock grow against her abdomen. “I really like our bets.”

Dany rolled her hips and kissed his neck. “Me too.”

Jon's hands roamed up her dress to knead her butt cheeks. Dany licked the salt from his sun-kissed skin. Before Dany's lips could bruise him, Jon dropped to his knees. He bunched her dress up to her waist and kissed the slight curve of her abdomen. He nosed into the seam of her panties, nudging the fabric aside and exposing her smooth lips. 

“Spread your legs,” he instructed, breathing hotly against Dany's sensitive flesh. 

She sucked in a breath through her teeth and sifted her legs apart. Jon watched her lips separate to reveal dewy, pink petals. He held her hips and kissed her clitoris, so small, yet so swollen with desire. Dany's fingers threaded through Jon's hair as he dipped his tongue inside her. 

Her body fluttered like a blade of grass during a gentle breeze. She sighed, “I thought you were going to fuck me.”

Jon leaned back. The cool air met his saliva, chilling Dany's pussy and making her wish she hadn't interrupted him. “You may have won the bet, little girl, but I'm still in charge. I'll fuck you when I see fit. Got it?”

The authority in Jon's tone enchanted Dany. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even swallow. She'd been staring down at Jon with parted lips so long a line of drool edged over her bottom lip. All she could do was nod. 

Jon didn't press his mouth back to her pussy. He tugged on her hips and brought her pussy to his mouth. Dany nearly stumbled. She gasped, and planted her hands on the wall in front of her. She sucked the drool back into her mouth and whimpered as Jon devoured her. He was not gentle, but he was thoughtful. Just the way Dany liked it. Her body was soon possessed by orgasmic pleasure. She wasn't used to coming while standing, though. Jon had to keep tight hold of her hips while he drank her every drop. 

“You're so fucking delicious,” he murmured against her pussy, his mouth and chin saturated with her fluids. He pulled down Dany's thong. She danced on her feet to rid her legs of it, and Jon immediately pulled her down onto his lap. 

Without prompting, Dany pressed her mouth to his, sucking her own essence from his lips. Her feistiness made Jon feral. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and growled. As soon as his cock was freed from his jeans, he grabbed Dany's hips and sat her down upon it. 

Her jaw dropped as Jon filled her in one quick motion. She clung to his neck and dug her nails into his shoulder blades as Jon's hips bucked upward in quick, rhythmic thrusts. 

“Is this what you want?” he growled into the hollow of her ear. 

“Yes, Jon.”

He pulled down her zipper and pealed her dress from her shoulders. He pried Dany from his chest and tugged the pink fabric down her arms, pooling it all at her waist. He attacked her naked breast with a hungry mouth, sucking her nipple and washing it with his tongue the same way he had her pussy. He opening his mouth wide and sucked as much of her tit as he could. He wondered lustfully at what point in Dany's pregnancy he would taste her milk.

Dany craned her head back and moaned up at the ceiling. Before she could suck in another breath, Jon was standing, holding Dany tight and carrying her to their bedroom. He dropped her onto their mattress and immediately rid her of her dress and tore off her sandals, throwing the items to the floor without a care. 

But he took his time undressing himself. He stood at the foot of the bed, teasing Dany with each shirt button he unfastened, his cock thick and jutted out the opening in his jeans. Dany watched the organ with wanton intensity as it bounced with each of Jon's movements. 

_Two can play at this game._ Dany bent her knees and spread her legs wide, putting herself on full display. She squeezed her breasts, feeling their fullness. She licked her lips and dug her butt into the mattress. 

“You are so hot, baby girl,” Jon breathed with a shake of his head, still so utterly in disbelief over how lucky he was to be married to this woman. He dropped his shirt to the floor and toed off his sneakers. “I wish it was possible to fuck another baby into you right now.”

Dany giggled, pinching her own nipples. She loved this side of Jon. So domineering, yet so lax with their rules. She caught glimpses of the twenty-three year old who had taken her virginity while fucking her into total submission. 

As soon as Jon was naked, he climbed between Dany's legs and pushed himself back inside her wet channel. He held onto her legs, pressing her knees into the mattress. He fucked her hard and deep, and Dany cried from the sensations. But it wasn't long before Jon was pulling out and spitting a thick line of drool directly onto her asshole. 

“Jon,” Dany panted, nervous about the makeshift lube. 

“Just breathe,” Jon replied before spitting into his hand and coating his cock with it. He spit onto her anus again and rubbed it into her flesh. When both her anus and his cock were slick with Dany's juices and his saliva, Jon dug his manhood into Dany's tight passage. 

“Jon!” Dany cried, tossing her head back and digging it into the pillow. She fisted the comforter in her hand and breathed through gritted teeth. 

Jon fulfilled the bet. He fucked his wife harder than she'd ever been fucked before. . . in her ass. And he rubbed her clit as he did so until Dany screamed so loud, Jon had to press his free hand over her mouth. He didn't remove it until her body stopped convulsing and her eyes re-focused on him. 

“Where do you want me to come?” he hotly asked, his balls painfully tight and desperate for relief. 

“In me!” Dany cried. “Please come inside me. Please! I want feel you.” Jon braced his elbows on either side of Dany and fucked her quickly while she supplicated in his ear. “Fill me with your come, Jon. I want to feel it inside my ass. Please.”

It was times like these Jon forgot why he ever made that stupid _no begging_ rule. He wanted to hear Dany's voice in his ear every second of ever goddamn day. “Oh, fuck,” he grunted, beads of sweat from the ends of his hair dripping onto Dany's forehead. “Fuck, I'm gonna come.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Dany panted. She dipped a hand between them and dug two fingers into her sex, her channel so compressed. She felt the motion of Jon's cock against her knuckles. “Oh my God. I can feel your dick.”

“I can feel your fingers,” Jon growled just before pressing his mouth to Dany's and sucking her tongue into his mouth. The headboard knocked against the wall as he pounded into her. He whimpered into her mouth as his cock erupted.

Dany squealed through her throat, feeling every twitch and pulse within her ass as warm semen ejected from Jon's cock. She felt every spurt. She felt her insides warm. She dug her heels into Jon's ass to keep him locked deep inside her. 

Before Jon was even empty, Dany was grinning against his mouth. He was whimpering, moaning, and totally _fucked_ in a way only her ass could do. His sounds were magical. “I love you,” she murmured as his hips stilled and his muscles shook with exhaustion. She kissed his sweaty cheek and embraced him, allowing him to rest his weight upon her. She liked the feeling of being nearly suffocated by his body. It wouldn't hurt the baby, she decided. But Jon was less sure. As soon as he gained his bearings, he rolled them so that Dany was laid atop him instead. 

Jon slowly softened, and slipped from her ass, only for her anus to tightly seal, trapping Jon's semen inside her anal passage. That was one thing Dany loved about anal sex. If she wanted, she could hold Jon's seed inside her all night long. It made her feel extra naughty, and dirty in a good way. Dany kissed Jon's placid mouth and told him she loved him over and over again until his eyes finally reopened. 

“I love you, too,” he murmured, smoothing his palms up the length of her back, “my perfect baby girl.”

Dany smiled and slid to Jon's side, tucking herself under his arm and draping her leg across his belly. Jon's arm was tucked beneath her, and he rested his palm on her butt, rubbing the round cheek in slow circles. 

Quietly, Dany whispered, “Will I still be your baby girl even when I'm a mother?”

“You will always be my baby girl. Even when you're a grandmother.”

Dany wrinkled her nose. “Slow your roll, honey. One milestone at a time.”

“God, you're going to be such a cute old lady, though.”

“Stop!” she giggled, tickling his side in playful revenge. But Jon wasn't as ticklish as her. He rebuffed her efforts easily by turning onto his side and kissing her deeply. Nothing distracted Dany like a long, sensual kiss from the love of her life. 

“You're going to be an amazing mother,” Jon murmured, looking into the blue of her eyes. 

Dany felt the words in her heart. She touched her abdomen reflexively with her palm. “I don't know. I hope so.”

“I know so. And you trust me, right?”

Dany nodded, smiling wide, her eyes full of stars as they gazed into Jon's dark, soothing pools of gray. She eagerly accepted a few soft, close-mouthed kisses from Jon. 

“We need to clean up the house,” he whispered.

Dany groaned. “Can't we save that for tomorrow?”

Jon chuckled at his Daisy's defiance. He turned her onto her back and caged her with his body. His smile turned seductive. “Do you have something else in mind. . .”

A blush about her cheeks, Dany breathed a “Maybe” up at her gorgeous, generous husband. 

He pecked the tip of her nose. “Does it involve a long bath?” Dany shook her head, and he pecked her nose a second time. “Does it involve sleeping?” Dany shook her head again, her smile morphing into a mischievous smirk. Jon kissed her nose a third time. “Does it involve me making love to you over and over and over again?” Dany giggled softly, then shook her head. 

Jon grew very suspicious and immediately sat up. He put his fists to his hips and posed a stern question down at Dany. “You just want to go to Cold Stone, don't you?”

She giggled harder, pressing her hands to her mouth and batting her long eyelashes up at Jon as she nodded her head. 

“What am I going to do with you, Daisy?”

She moved her hands to her belly. “I'm pregnant!” 

Jon sighed and climbed off the bed. Her and her nightly ice cream cravings were going to be the death of him. But he would willingly die a million times for his wife, so why not get the ball rolling? “Alright. Well, if we're going to Cold Stone, I definitely need to wash you up. 

Dany shot up and bounced into Jon's arms, hugging him tight. “Thank you, honey.”

She never needed to say thank you. Jon would do anything for her. But such sweetness always warmed his heart to the max. “I'm just glad you're happy,” he told her, quiet and earnest. 

“I am happy.” Dany took Jon's hand and pressed it to her abdomen. “We're going to be very, very happy, Jon. Because we have you.”

A small blush tinged Jon's cheeks as he pressed his lips to Dany's forehead, already looking forward to many more nights just like this one.

_One year down. . . the rest our lives to go._

“I have an idea,” Jon spoke just then. He had that look in his eye that Dany knew well. It was a look that told her she'd better play along, for whatever thought just popped into Jon's head would surely be worth her while.

Jon had her pee before taking her back to bed and lying her down in the center. He went around to each corner of the bed and revealed the harnesses which they kept permanently hooked underneath the mattress. These restraints were a step up from the ones Jon had bought Dany for Christmas a year and a half ago. These were leather with silver buckles, and each harness was lined with soft wool. Jon fastened a harness to each of Dany's wrists and ankles and cinched the straps tight, splaying her taunt in an X shape. 

He allowed Dany to watch him dress, but then it was time for his pretty little Daisy to be blindfolded. As much as he adored Dany's wanton stare, a blindfold was necessary. Jon wanted to be the very last thing Dany's eyes beheld before leaving her, and the very first when he would return. He wanted her focused solely on her arousal, and nothing else. 

Jon dug one of the silk sashes from the bottom drawer in his dresser – what Dany liked to call their “toy box,” and sometimes, their “treasure chest.” Dany preferred the former, because it sounded cute, and Dany loved to be cute. Jon, however, preferred the later, because it made him feel like he was a pirate. And if Jon was a pirate, then Dany was his princess, and they would sail every hallowed shore side by side, having amazing sex while they were at it. Okay. . . maybe Jon liked to be cute, too. 

He draped the turquoise sash across Dany's eyes and tied it behind her head. The thin pillow he placed beneath her head would cushion any discomfort from the knot. Jon leaned over her and pressed his lips gingerly to her parted ones. “Don't worry,” he murmured. “I'll be right back. And I will be thinking about you every second that I'm gone. I want you to be a good girl and stay right here for me. Can you do that?”

With the restraints, she wouldn't have a choice, but watching Dany nod in her innocent way was an essential part of Jon's process. It wasn't that he needed her not to move, because that was already a certainty. It was that he needed her to _want_ not to move. 

“If you really need me,” Jon continued, “you can just tell _you know who_ to call my cell. Okay?”

Dany giggled softly. Jon was convinced that if he said the name _Alexa_ during conversation, their Amazon AI device would turn on and begin recording everything he was saying. It was one of his odd little quirks that made up Jon's lovable personality. She nodded, and was given a soft reward kiss to her lips. 

“I'll miss you,” he breathed before shifting down her body. “And I'll miss these.” He gave a kiss to each of Dany's pink nipples. “And I'll miss you.” He kissed Dany's abdomen, making her smile. “And of course, I will miss this.” His last kiss landed on her clit, still shiny with her fluids. 

Jon crawled off the mattress and rested a hand on Dany's bare foot, squeezing it the way he would her hand. “And don't think you won't be punished for being so disobedient. Talking without permission. Begging. That ice cream is going right into the freezer until after your punishment.”

Dany let out a soft squeak, Jon's words manifesting at the apex of her thighs. She wondered if Jon was staring at her pussy. If he was, he would surely see how desperate Dany's body was to suffer her promised punishment. She half-hoped Jon would stick clamps to her nipples and the hood of her clit before leaving, but it would be a twenty-minute trip, and Jon would never leave his wife in such a vulnerable state without his constant supervision. 

“I love you, Daisy girl,” Jon gently spoke, tearing his gaze from his wife's sex to look at her blindfolded face. 

“I love you,” Dany quickly breathed, and Jon's hand slid from her foot. 

She listened to his footsteps leave the bedroom and move closer and closer to the front door. She listened to the door open and shut, and to the rattling of Jon's key in the lock. She listened to the faint sound of Jon's car starting in the driveway, and to the tires rolling toward the road. She listened until there was nothing left to listen to, and then she spoke into the silent room, “Alexa. Play my _Waiting for Jon to Come Home and Punish Me_ playlist.” 

Alexa's robotic voice promptly replied, “Now playing _Waiting for Jon to Come Home and Punish Me_ playlist.” 

As a somber, electronic melody sounded from the bluetooth speaker, Dany inhaled a deep breath, rising her chest high and letting it fall with a slow exhale. Her nipples tingled with the slight wetness Jon's lips produced. 

_'He told me I was so small.'_

She licked her own lips, tasting a mixture of her own essence and Jon's saliva. 

_'I told him, water me.'_

She wiggled her toes, still warm from Jon's hot touch. 

_'I promise I can grow tall,'_

She relaxed every muscle in her body, and felt a drop of Jon's semen escape her anus and glide down the slope of her butt. 

_'When making love is free.'_

A smile played upon Dany's lips. Maybe it wouldn't always be like this. Maybe the baby will change things. Maybe Dany won't be able to play so often when her belly is swollen and their baby is wiggling around inside of her. Maybe she will be too exhausted for months after the birth to even entertain the idea of having sex. Maybe Jon will fare similar. Maybe they will never be again what they are right now. But, as much as Dany loved sex, she loved her family more. The Snows. A family of _three._ Such a beautiful number. Dany would give up anything for that number. Her sex life, her body, her time, her patience, the mental and physical toll, the _pain_ of giving birth.

_'He told me I was so small.'_

Dany wasn't afraid of the pain. . .

_'I told him, water me.'_

As long as she had Jon, Dany could get through anything.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of you don't like leaving comments. Because of that, I won't be able to thank all of you personally for reading, so I'll do just that here. Thank you ALL for taking the time to read this very, very long fic. Thank you ALL who left kudos for giving me that boost of confidence. Thank you ALL who read along with the updates. Thank you ALL who started reading after the completion of the updates, because you're just as impatient a reader as I am! Thank you ALL who started reading, decided you didn't like this fic, and chose not to tell me that in the comments anyway. And thank you ALL who have commented throughout the posting of this fic. Y'all are true heroes, and I am blessed.
> 
> As I've told some of you already, I may not be posting anything new for some time. I'm going to be working on a lot of non-fanfic original stuff in the coming months, for school and for myself. That said, fanficiton is somewhat of an addiction for me, so my efforts to stay away could very well go in vain lol. Either way, I hope we'll encounter each other again soon, on this platform or the next <3


End file.
